Introduction
The Clean Air Fund (CAF) is a global philanthropic organisation working to tackle air pollution and accelerate action for clean air. The organisation works with governments, funders, businesses, researchers, campaigners and communities to improve air quality and promote policies that protect public health, address climate change and support sustainable development.
Clean Air Fund supports organisations around the world through grants and partnerships, while also developing projects, research, advocacy and policy initiatives. Its work focuses particularly on communities disproportionately affected by air pollution and on countries and regions where there is significant potential for policy and environmental impact. Its geographic work includes countries such as India, Ghana, Indonesia, South Africa and the UK, as well as initiatives at the European and global levels.
History and Background
Clean Air Fund was established as a philanthropic organisation dedicated specifically to tackling global air pollution. Its approach has developed around the recognition that clean air is connected to several major development priorities, including health, climate, economic productivity and children’s development.
The organisation describes itself as the world’s largest philanthropically funded organisation dedicated to tackling air pollution. Since 2019, Clean Air Fund reports that it has supported more than 600 projects and spent approximately $154 million toward its goal of creating a future where everyone breathes clean air.
Its work combines grantmaking with policy engagement, research, data, communications and collaboration across sectors. This allows Clean Air Fund to support both grassroots organisations and larger research, policy and advocacy initiatives.
Mission and Purpose
Clean Air Fund’s mission is to accelerate progress toward a world where everyone can breathe clean air.
Its work focuses on:
- Supporting organisations tackling air pollution at local, national and international levels.
- Generating and improving air-quality data.
- Increasing public demand for cleaner air.
- Supporting governments and decision-makers to adopt stronger clean-air policies.
- Connecting researchers, funders, businesses, campaigners and policymakers.
- Building evidence on the health and climate effects of air pollution.
- Supporting solutions that address both air pollution and climate change.
- Ensuring communities most affected by air pollution are represented in clean-air action.
The organisation’s Clean Air for All Strategy 2023–2026 is structured around three principal areas of action: Data, Demand and Drive. These represent the generation and use of evidence, building public awareness and political demand, and influencing decision-makers to take ambitious action on air quality.
Strategic Priorities
Clean Air Fund’s strategy connects air-quality improvements with broader health, climate and development goals.
The organisation’s strategic approach includes:
Data: Producing and promoting evidence that helps policymakers, communities and other stakeholders understand air pollution and its effects.
Demand: Building public awareness and support for action on air pollution, particularly among communities affected by poor air quality.
Drive: Supporting decision-makers and institutions to introduce and implement ambitious measures to reduce air pollution.
The organisation’s strategy also identifies global themes including air-quality data, health, campaigns and private-sector engagement.
Governance and Organisational Structure
Clean Air Fund operates as a global philanthropic organisation headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its work involves collaboration across philanthropic funders, governments, researchers, businesses, campaigners and civil-society organisations.
Its grantmaking teams operate in countries and regions where the organisation works. Clean Air Fund states that its teams take a hands-on approach to grantmaking by understanding the local landscape, developing projects with grantees and aligning investments with priorities identified by local stakeholders.
This partnership-based structure enables the organisation to support a wide range of activities, from community-led clean-air campaigns to scientific research and policy initiatives.
Funding and Grantmaking
Clean Air Fund provides funding to NGOs, charities, research organisations and campaigners working to tackle air pollution. Its grants support projects that generate evidence, build public demand, influence policy and accelerate practical clean-air action.
Examples of funded work include:
- Black carbon research and policy development.
- Air-quality advocacy.
- Clean transportation initiatives.
- Urban air-quality programmes.
- Research into the health effects of air pollution.
- Climate and air-quality policy.
- Community campaigns.
- Development of air-quality data and monitoring tools.
- Engagement with businesses and investors.
- Research on super pollutants.
Clean Air Fund’s grantmaking is largely proactive rather than open-ended. The organisation states that most grants are made to charities or nonprofit organisations identified and approached by its teams. It does not accept unsolicited grant applications for its usual grantmaking.
However, Clean Air Fund may run open calls for specific research programmes, particularly through its programme on the health and climate impacts of super pollutants.
Current Research Funding Opportunities
One important funding area is Clean Air Fund’s Super Pollutants and Health Programme, which supports research, policy and advocacy addressing evidence gaps concerning the health and climate impacts of super pollutants.
The programme focuses particularly on black carbon and tropospheric ozone and is supported by the Wellcome Trust. Clean Air Fund states that it is particularly interested in research consortia and studies in underrepresented regions, including West Africa and Southeast Asia, especially research led by low- and middle-income countries.
As of September 2026, an open research funding opportunity focuses on assessing interventions that reduce black carbon emissions from space heating and industry in cold-climate settings in low- and middle-income countries. The call is seeking evidence on emissions reductions, health and climate benefits, and community acceptance. The stated deadline is 23 October 2026 at 18:00 BST.
Organisations and researchers should always review the individual call for proposals for the latest eligibility requirements, geographic scope and application conditions.
Major Programmes and Initiatives
Clean Air Fund’s work spans several interconnected areas.
Clean Air Data: The organisation works with partners to generate, improve and communicate air-quality data so that communities and policymakers can understand pollution levels and identify opportunities for action.
Black Carbon: Clean Air Fund supports research, advocacy and policy action around black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant that contributes to both air pollution and climate impacts.
Health: The organisation connects air-quality action with public health and supports research examining the health consequences of air pollution.
Climate: Clean Air Fund works to highlight the connections between air pollution and climate change and promote solutions that can deliver benefits for both.
Policy and Advocacy: The organisation works with campaigners, governments and other partners to strengthen air-quality policies at city, national, regional and international levels.
Private Sector Action: Clean Air Fund also works to encourage businesses and investors to recognise and reduce air-pollution impacts.
Black Carbon and Super Pollutants Programme
In June 2026, Clean Air Fund announced a new £10 million programme supported by Wellcome to accelerate action on black carbon. The programme is designed to support research, policy and advocacy focused on the health and climate benefits of reducing black carbon pollution.
The programme reflects Clean Air Fund’s increasing focus on super pollutants that have significant effects on human health and climate while offering opportunities for relatively rapid environmental benefits when emissions are reduced.
Research under this programme is intended to address evidence gaps and support policymakers in identifying effective interventions.
Examples of Grants and Funded Projects
Clean Air Fund’s grants portfolio includes projects covering research, advocacy, policy development, communications and practical interventions.
Recent examples include:
- Developing black carbon commitments at COP30: SLYCAN Trust worked with partners and countries to develop national announcements on black carbon and its sources.
- Black carbon research and scientific consensus: Stockholm University and partners worked on research addressing scientific bottlenecks affecting action on black carbon.
- Black carbon and transport: The International Council on Clean Transportation received support for work aimed at accelerating policies and pilot programmes to reduce emissions from diesel off-road machinery.
- Residential wood burning in France: Respire, working with research partners, received support to assess the impact of wood burning on black carbon and air-pollution exposure.
- Air-quality policy in India: Clean Air Fund has supported projects involving organisations such as the Centre for Science and Environment and CSTEP, including work on India’s National Clean Air Programme and state-level strategies for reducing air pollution.
These projects demonstrate the breadth of Clean Air Fund’s grantmaking, which includes scientific research, government policy, advocacy, communications and practical clean-air solutions.
Impact and Global Reach
Clean Air Fund reports that it has supported more than 600 projects since 2019, raised $248 million in direct funding and spent approximately $154 million toward its clean-air goal. It also reports that its work has helped catalyse more than $124 million in additional funding for air-pollution action.
The organisation reports policy-related progress at city, national and regional levels. Its partners have contributed to clean-air policy discussions across the European Union and internationally, while its work has also supported the development of evidence around the economic benefits of improving air quality.
Clean Air Fund also reports that 89% of surveyed grantees believe the organisation has a positive impact on the field.
Air Quality Funding and Research
Clean Air Fund also conducts research into the global financing landscape for air-quality action. Its State of Global Air Quality Funding 2025 report analysed international development funding between 2019 and 2023. The report found that outdoor air-quality funding fell from $4.7 billion in 2022 to $3.7 billion in 2023, while air-quality projects accounted for only about 1% of international development funding over the 2019–2023 period.
In 2026, Clean Air Fund also published an analysis of philanthropic foundation funding for clean air, examining funding trends from 2019 to 2023 and identifying opportunities for more effective investment in air-pollution solutions.
These research activities contribute to Clean Air Fund’s wider objective of increasing the resources available for clean-air action.
Opportunities for NGOs and Research Organisations
Clean Air Fund can be relevant to NGOs, charities, research institutions, campaign groups and other organisations working on air pollution, climate, health and environmental policy.
Potential areas of alignment include:
- Air-quality research and evidence generation.
- Black carbon and other super pollutants.
- Air pollution and public health.
- Climate and clean-air policy.
- Clean transportation.
- Urban air-quality programmes.
- Community awareness and advocacy.
- Air-quality data.
- Corporate and investor engagement.
- Policy development and implementation.
However, organisations should note that Clean Air Fund’s standard grantmaking is primarily proactive, meaning that organisations generally should not submit unsolicited funding applications. Specific open research calls may have separate application processes and eligibility criteria.
Conclusion
The Clean Air Fund is a global philanthropic organisation focused on accelerating action against air pollution through grants, research, advocacy, partnerships, data and policy engagement. Its approach connects clean air with public health, climate action, economic development and community wellbeing.
Through its grantmaking, Clean Air Fund supports NGOs, charities, research institutions and campaigners working on issues ranging from black carbon and transportation to urban air quality, health research and government policy. Since 2019, it reports having supported more than 600 projects and spent approximately $154 million toward its clean-air mission.
For organisations and researchers interested in Clean Air Fund funding, it is important to distinguish between its proactive grantmaking and its specific open research calls. Current opportunities, eligibility criteria and deadlines should be checked on the organisation’s official website before preparing an application.
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