Climate change is the greatest danger to modern-day society, and the poorest people will suffer disproportionately. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects at least 3.3 billion people are highly vulnerable to climate change, with climate change-driven famine emerging as a primary threat.  

Businesses play an essential role in addressing climate change due to their influence and ecological footprint. The Vision 2045 campaign aims to inspire and instill ambition for countering climate change by spotlighting the efforts of socially conscious businesses.

As a global research-to-practice consulting firm, Abt Associates uses data and evidence to inform policy and development programming that improves the quality of life and well-being of people worldwide. Abt is a mission-driven, for-profit business, founded by social scientist Clark Abt in 1965 to tackle pressing human and environmental challenges. The company operates on the conviction that generating positive social impact is not at odds with the financial health of enterprises, but rather a powerful engine for growth.

“We have a broad team of multi-sectoral individuals to make sure that we can drive impact through the programs that we work on.”

Kathleen Flanagan, the CEO, Abt Associates

For clients in 50-plus countries, Abt convenes experts across sectors and issues, including agriculture, clean energy, U.S health and housing policy, global health security, and inclusive economic growth. This often-seminal work focuses on building resilient communities, such as:

•       Abt’s pioneering research in the 1970s helped establish the housing safety net in the U.S., and today Congress still uses Abt’s methodology to quantify the extent of homelessness across the country.
•       Abt quantified the prominent role of the private sector in health service delivery worldwide, shaping collaboration with donors and governments to target investments that optimize care and make it more affordable.
•       Abt is the world’s largest implementer of indoor residual spraying to protect millions from malaria every year, particularly in Africa—recalibrating regularly as climate change alters seasonality and geographic range of malaria-carrying mosquitos.

To help public and private sector clients combat and adapt to climate change at the needed speed and scale, Abt specializes in methane mitigation, the clean energy transition, and co-benefits quantification. Its environmental services work includes major economic and regulatory analysis of pollution, toxic substance releases and contamination—burdens particularly borne by disadvantaged communities. Climate equity and environmental justice are cornerstones of Abt’s approach to help partners and clients discern risks and vulnerability. Abt also mainstreams climate change considerations across domains like agriculture, public health, housing, and governance, tapping community and global expertise to assess, anticipate and advise on climate impacts and co-create solutions.

For example, Abt is helping develop horticultural market systems through the Feed the Future Egypt Rural Agribusiness Strengthening Project. This work includes training for farmers in climate-smart technologies and practices to mitigate risks to farmer livelihoods and food security. 

“It’s impossible for the public sector to tackle climate change by itself. It’s going to take the resources of the whole world—the public and private sectors—working together to mobilize everything that’s necessary.”

Eric Reading, Chief Climate Officer, Abt Associates

Multifaceted problems like climate change aren’t solved by a sole sector, company, or area of expertise, by one funder or portfolio of projects. Abt’s interdisciplinary expertise and global footprint places it at the intersections of overlapping issues and stakeholders. This company is well-positioned to convene governments, the private sector, and communities to deliver and scale evidence-grounded solutions to the climate crisis.