Introduction
The Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF) is an international grantmaking initiative that supports environmental impact assessment, predictive impact modeling and stakeholder engagement for innovative climate intervention technologies approaching small-scale field testing.
Established in 2023, CIEIF seeks to fill a specialized funding gap in climate innovation. Rather than financing basic scientific research or the implementation of climate technologies themselves, the Fund supports independent analysis designed to determine the potential environmental, social, economic, health and safety impacts of proposed climate intervention field tests.
CIEIF supports qualified investigators around the world developing innovative approaches that could potentially address the root causes or major effects of global warming.
Its funding is particularly relevant to emerging fields such as:
- Carbon dioxide removal.
- Methane removal.
- Enhanced rock weathering.
- Marine carbon dioxide removal.
- Biochar.
- Glacier and ice preservation.
- Ocean interventions.
- Agricultural methane interventions.
- Greenhouse gas removal technologies.
- Climate restoration technologies.
CIEIF is affiliated with Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), a nonprofit public charity exempt from U.S. federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
More information is available on the official Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund website.
History and Background
The Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund officially began operations in September 2023.
It was established in response to a specific challenge within climate technology development: innovative climate interventions may receive funding for scientific research or technological development but often lack adequate resources for independent environmental impact assessment before field testing.
CIEIF was therefore created to support the analytical work required before potentially consequential climate technologies are tested in real-world environments.
Its first grant cycle was announced in September 2023, with grants specifically focused on:
- Environmental impact assessments.
- Predictive environmental impact modeling.
- Stakeholder outreach and engagement.
In December 2023, CIEIF announced its first three grants, each valued at US$50,000.
The inaugural recipients were:
- Arctic Reflections.
- Captura Corp.
- International Biochar Initiative.
The grant amount increased to US$65,000 during the 2024 funding cycle.
As the initiative developed and interest in responsible climate intervention research increased, CIEIF expanded the value of its awards again. By 2025 and 2026, individual grants had reached US$75,000.
In June 2026, CIEIF completed its fifth round of grantmaking, demonstrating relatively rapid growth for an initiative established only three years earlier.
Mission and Purpose
CIEIF’s central purpose is to support the responsible development and evaluation of innovative technologies capable of helping reverse or significantly reduce climate change.
The Fund believes that independent and objective environmental impact assessment is essential for responsible climate intervention research.
Its mission is therefore not simply to accelerate new climate technologies but to ensure that potential environmental and societal consequences are carefully examined before technologies move toward larger-scale deployment.
CIEIF primarily supports three interconnected activities:
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Evaluating possible environmental, health, social and economic effects of proposed field tests.
- Predictive Impact Modeling: Using scientific modeling to anticipate consequences before or during field testing.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Consulting communities, government agencies, Indigenous groups and other stakeholders who could potentially be affected by climate intervention experiments.
This approach recognizes that technologies intended to address climate change can themselves create risks or unintended consequences.
CIEIF therefore emphasizes responsible experimentation, transparency, peer review and engagement with potentially affected communities.
Climate Intervention Focus
CIEIF supports technologies that have the potential to operate at a scale significant enough to produce meaningful climate benefits.
Eligible approaches may include:
- Biochar.
- Enhanced rock weathering.
- Methane removal.
- Black soot mitigation.
- Marine carbon dioxide removal.
- Ocean interventions.
- Ocean fertilization.
- Cloud brightening.
- Ice and land albedo enhancement.
- Livestock methane capture.
- Agricultural climate interventions.
- Greenhouse gas-removing coatings.
- Nitrous oxide removal.
- Chlorofluorocarbon removal.
- Technologies addressing glacier loss.
- Other innovative greenhouse gas removal approaches.
Projects must address either a root cause of global warming or one of its major global effects.
Activities CIEIF Does Not Fund
CIEIF maintains a highly specialized mandate.
It does not provide general funding for climate change projects.
Activities outside its funding scope include:
- Basic scientific research.
- General climate adaptation.
- Renewable energy projects.
- Clean-energy deployment.
- Conventional emissions reduction.
- General climate resilience.
- Sustainable development projects.
- Full implementation of climate technologies.
- Individual research projects.
- Student projects.
CIEIF also excludes several specific climate intervention categories from its grant program.
It does not currently support stratospheric or higher-altitude Solar Radiation Management, citing issues surrounding controversy, governance and fit with its field-testing mission.
It also excludes conventional Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC) because substantial funding programs already exist for these technologies.
However, other carbon removal approaches, including marine carbon dioxide removal and enhanced weathering, can potentially qualify.
Governance and Structure
CIEIF operates through a deliberately small administrative and advisory structure.
Grant decisions are made by a three-person, part-time team consisting of specialists in environmental policy, science and law.
The decision-making team includes:
- Peter T. Jenkins – Fund Manager
- Dr. Renaud de Richter – Science Advisor
- John Fitzgerald – Legal Advisor
This structure reflects the Fund’s objective of maintaining a relatively rapid and less bureaucratic grantmaking process.
Peter T. Jenkins – Fund Manager
Peter T. Jenkins serves as Manager of the Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund.
His professional background spans environmental law, land-use law, consumer advocacy and environmental policy.
From 2021 to 2023, he served as Chair of the Board of Advisors of Methane Action, an organization that later merged with Spark Climate Solutions.
Jenkins holds a law degree from the University of Puget Sound School of Law, now Seattle University School of Law, and a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
His work has focused extensively on applying scientific evidence to environmental protection and policy.
Dr. Renaud de Richter – Science Advisor
Dr. Renaud de Richter serves as CIEIF’s Science Advisor.
He has extensive expertise in innovative climate interventions and previously served as Science Advisor to Methane Action.
His scientific background includes research, technological innovation and work associated with greenhouse gas removal and climate intervention concepts.
He received his PhD from the University of Science and Technology in Montpellier, France.
His role at CIEIF helps ensure that proposed interventions are evaluated for scientific credibility, technical feasibility and potential climate relevance.
John Fitzgerald – Legal Advisor
John Fitzgerald serves as CIEIF’s Legal Advisor.
He has decades of experience in U.S. and international environmental law and policy.
His professional background includes work with:
- Methane Action.
- U.S. Congress.
- Defenders of Wildlife.
- U.S. Agency for International Development.
His expertise helps CIEIF evaluate legal, regulatory, permitting and governance issues connected with climate intervention field testing.
Relationship with Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs
CIEIF is affiliated with Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE).
SEE is a U.S. nonprofit public charity with federal tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3).
This affiliation provides a nonprofit framework through which CIEIF can operate and distribute eligible charitable funding.
The arrangement is particularly important because CIEIF funds organizations and research teams internationally.
Funding and Grants
CIEIF provides competitive grants specifically for analytical work associated with proposed climate intervention field tests.
As of 2026, grants are valued at US$75,000 each.
Funding can primarily be used for:
- Environmental impact assessments.
- Predictive environmental impact modeling.
- Independent consultants.
- Stakeholder engagement.
- Community consultation.
- Government engagement.
- Social impact assessment.
- Public health analysis.
- Economic impact analysis.
- Closely associated field-test assessment expenses.
Applicants must clearly explain how they would use the US$75,000 grant for at least one of CIEIF’s three core funding areas.
How CIEIF Grants Are Paid
CIEIF does not necessarily provide the entire grant in a single payment.
For selected projects, funding is structured around project progress.
The current funding mechanism generally involves:
- The first third of the grant being provided after project-scoping discussions.
- The second payment being linked to negotiated project benchmarks.
- The final payment being linked to additional agreed milestones.
CIEIF states that repeated annual funding may be possible, allowing particularly promising projects to potentially receive continued support.
This milestone-based funding model helps connect financial support with measurable progress.
Who Can Apply?
CIEIF’s funding has a global reach.
Applications may come from qualified organizations and investigators developing innovative climate intervention technologies that are approaching field testing.
Potential applicants include:
- Universities.
- Academic institutions.
- Research organizations.
- Nonprofit organizations.
- Climate technology organizations.
- Scientific research teams.
- Private companies.
- Climate-tech startups.
CIEIF gives greater priority, all else being equal, to nonprofit organizations, including academic institutions.
Private businesses developing climate intervention technologies can also be considered.
International applicants may receive higher priority when they have a U.S. nonprofit partner capable of accepting the grant as a charitable donation.
CIEIF does not fund individuals or student projects.
Grant Application Requirements
Applicants must provide a detailed but concise proposal describing their proposed climate intervention field test.
Applications must explain:
- Who is responsible for the project.
- The applying organization.
- Proposed climate intervention technology.
- Scientific basis for the field test.
- Why the technology is ready for field testing.
- Proposed test location.
- Potential environmental impacts.
- Possible economic and social impacts.
- Public health and safety considerations.
- Required government permits.
- Existing research and publications.
- Potential independent consultants.
- Proposed use of grant funding.
- Other project funding sources.
- Insurance coverage.
- Plans to publish results.
- Potential for global scalability.
Applications are limited to 20 single-spaced pages, excluding certain supporting material.
Publication and Transparency Requirements
Transparency is an important feature of CIEIF’s funding model.
Supported projects are expected to make their environmental impact findings available through:
- Peer-reviewed scientific journals, or
- Public reports subjected to independent external peer review.
The objective is to ensure that lessons learned from individual field tests contribute to the broader climate intervention research community.
CIEIF also hopes that environmental impact assessments produced through its grants can become useful models for future climate intervention field tests.
Government Permits and Regulatory Compliance
CIEIF funding does not replace government permitting or regulatory requirements.
Supported projects remain responsible for:
- Obtaining necessary permits.
- Meeting environmental regulations.
- Complying with local laws.
- Following national regulations.
- Addressing relevant international requirements.
CIEIF-supported environmental assessment is intended to complement government oversight, not substitute for it.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Unlike larger foundations operating numerous standalone programs, CIEIF organizes its activities around recurring competitive grant cycles.
Its main initiative is its Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Grant Program.
Each grant cycle selects innovative technologies approaching real-world field testing and provides resources for environmental assessment, modeling and stakeholder engagement.
Supported technologies have included:
- Arctic sea-ice restoration.
- Direct ocean carbon removal.
- Biochar.
- Aquatic methane removal.
- Enhanced rock weathering.
- Atmospheric methane removal.
- Glacier preservation.
- Ocean alkalinity enhancement.
2023 Inaugural Grants
CIEIF awarded its first grants in December 2023.
Three organizations received US$50,000 each.
Arctic Reflections
Arctic Reflections, a Netherlands-based organization, is developing a method intended to slow Arctic sea-ice loss.
Its proposed intervention involves pumping seawater onto existing ice during winter to increase ice thickness.
Thicker ice could potentially survive longer during summer and increase reflection of solar radiation.
CIEIF funding supported analysis of the potential environmental impacts of small-scale ice-thickening field tests.
Captura
Captura Corp. received support for analysis associated with its Direct Ocean Capture technology.
The technology is designed to remove carbon dioxide from seawater using an electrochemical process.
Returning CO₂-depleted water to the ocean potentially allows the water to absorb additional atmospheric carbon dioxide.
CIEIF funding contributed to examination of environmental impacts associated with testing this approach.
International Biochar Initiative
The International Biochar Initiative received funding connected to a biochar project in Pakistan.
Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced from organic biomass.
Its potential benefits include:
- Carbon storage.
- Improved soil quality.
- Reduced agricultural waste burning.
- Greater agricultural resilience.
The project examined environmental and community considerations associated with scaling biochar as a climate intervention.
2024 Climate Intervention Grants
CIEIF increased its awards to US$65,000 in 2024.
Recipients included projects working on methane removal and other climate interventions.
Bluemethane
Bluemethane, a UK climate technology startup, received funding to assess its technology for removing methane from wastewater and other aquatic environments.
The technology uses mechanical processes to extract dissolved methane so it can potentially be captured and used as biogas.
CIEIF supported comprehensive environmental impact analysis and monitoring associated with a proposed field test.
Exaquest Carbon
Exaquest Carbon, a California nonprofit organization, received CIEIF support for work involving scalable carbon dioxide removal technology.
The project reflected CIEIF’s interest in innovative carbon removal approaches capable of eventually operating at climate-relevant scales.
Floating Island International
Floating Island International received funding related to techniques that could potentially reduce methane emissions from reservoirs and other aquatic environments.
The organization has experience developing floating systems for improving freshwater ecosystems and is examining their potential application to greenhouse gas mitigation.
2025 Grants
By 2025, CIEIF’s grant value had increased to US$75,000 per project.
Projects funded during this period included technologies addressing atmospheric methane, livestock methane and enhanced rock weathering.
Frost Methane
Frost Methane received support to examine the environmental effects of its methane capture and flaring technology for livestock manure ponds.
The assessment considers impacts beyond methane reduction, including possible changes in:
- Nitrogen oxide emissions.
- Nitrous oxide.
- Ammonia.
- Manure composition.
- Farm management practices.
The project illustrates CIEIF’s emphasis on understanding both the benefits and potential unintended effects of climate technologies.
ZeroEx
ZeroEx has been testing enhanced rock weathering on agricultural land in Germany.
Enhanced rock weathering involves spreading crushed silicate minerals across land to accelerate natural processes that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
CIEIF funding supports investigation of potential environmental effects, including whether potentially toxic elements could accumulate in:
- Plants.
- Soil.
- Water leachate.
The resulting assessment could contribute to safer deployment of enhanced rock weathering technologies elsewhere.
Atmospheric Methane Removal Research
CIEIF has also supported work by Acacia Impact Innovation and HighTechXL related to atmospheric methane removal.
Their proposed approach investigates whether chlorine chemistry associated with ship plumes could be used to accelerate atmospheric methane removal.
CIEIF funding supports environmental impact analysis and modeling designed to evaluate potential risks and benefits before field testing.
2026 Grant Recipients
In June 2026, CIEIF announced its fifth funding round, awarding three grants of US$75,000 each.
Recipients included:
- Carbizon.
- Hourglass Climate.
- Institute for Glacier Stewardship.
These projects span Kenya, New Zealand and Alaska, highlighting the global reach and technological diversity of CIEIF’s grantmaking.
Carbizon
Carbizon is a Belgian startup project based at the University of Antwerp.
The organization proposes a high-intensity enhanced rock weathering field test in Murang’a County, Kenya.
Its approach combines:
- Crushed basalt.
- Biochar.
- Organic material.
The project aims to create productive soil while simultaneously accelerating durable carbon dioxide removal through silicate weathering.
CIEIF funding supports:
- Independent environmental impact assessment.
- Impact modeling.
- Life-cycle assessment.
- Engagement with Kenyan farming organizations.
The project is notable because it tests enhanced rock weathering as a substantial soil-building and carbon-removal intervention rather than simply a minor agricultural amendment.
Hourglass Climate
Hourglass Climate is a U.S. nonprofit organization focused on responsible marine carbon dioxide removal research.
Its proposed field test in New Zealand examines mineral-based Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement.
The approach would introduce finely ground minerals into coastal waters with the objective of increasing seawater alkalinity and potentially increasing the ocean’s ability to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide.
CIEIF funding supports:
- Ecotoxicological testing.
- Environmental safety assessment.
- Stakeholder outreach.
- Engagement with New Zealand communities.
- Evaluation of culturally and commercially important marine species.
The initiative demonstrates the importance CIEIF places on environmental and community considerations alongside technological effectiveness.
Institute for Glacier Stewardship
The Institute for Glacier Stewardship is a U.S.-based nonprofit working on potential technologies for slowing glacier loss.
The organization proposes testing an intervention in Yakutat, Alaska before considering future applications in more challenging environments.
Its research examines whether removing water beneath glaciers could increase friction and potentially slow glacier movement.
CIEIF support contributes to:
- Independent environmental assessment.
- Field equipment.
- Site inspections.
- Impact analysis.
- Engagement with local Indigenous communities.
The project reflects CIEIF’s willingness to support assessment of unconventional approaches to addressing major consequences of global warming, including sea-level rise.
Impact of CIEIF
CIEIF’s impact is best understood as an effort to strengthen the responsible governance of emerging climate intervention technologies.
Its funding helps researchers answer questions that might otherwise receive less attention during technology development.
These include:
- What environmental harm could occur?
- Who could be affected?
- What communities should be consulted?
- Are potential risks reversible?
- How can risks be monitored?
- What permits are required?
- Could impacts change if the technology is scaled?
- How should environmental consequences be measured?
By financing these questions before large-scale deployment, CIEIF seeks to reduce scientific, environmental and societal uncertainty.
Building Environmental Impact Assessment Capacity
One of CIEIF’s broader contributions is encouraging climate technology developers to incorporate environmental impact assessment at an early stage.
Traditionally, some technologies undergo extensive environmental analysis only after substantial investment has already occurred.
CIEIF promotes an alternative approach in which environmental considerations become part of technology development before large-scale deployment decisions are made.
This may help identify:
- Environmental risks.
- Public health concerns.
- Social impacts.
- Regulatory challenges.
- Community concerns.
- Scalability limitations.
Promoting Stakeholder Engagement
CIEIF recognizes that climate interventions do not exist only within laboratories.
Field tests can affect:
- Farmers.
- Coastal communities.
- Indigenous peoples.
- Local governments.
- Regulators.
- Environmental organizations.
- Businesses.
- Resource users.
Stakeholder consultation is therefore treated as an important component of responsible climate research.
Several CIEIF grants include funding specifically for community outreach and stakeholder engagement.
Supporting Evidence-Based Climate Innovation
CIEIF occupies a specialized position within the broader ecosystem of climate finance.
Its grants do not primarily ask whether a technology can remove greenhouse gases.
Instead, they also ask whether the technology can be tested and potentially scaled responsibly, safely and transparently.
This emphasis makes the Fund relevant to discussions involving:
- Climate intervention governance.
- Climate restoration.
- Carbon dioxide removal.
- Methane removal.
- Environmental impact assessment.
- Geoengineering governance.
- Climate technology safety.
- Environmental research grants.
- Climate innovation funding.
- Responsible climate field testing.
Current Grant Opportunity
CIEIF’s next grant cycle provides three grants of US$75,000 each.
The current application deadline is 1 December 2026.
Funding is available for qualified climate intervention projects requiring support for:
- Environmental impact assessment.
- Predictive impact modeling.
- Stakeholder engagement.
Decisions for this sixth grant round are expected to be announced by 1 February 2027.
Applicants should carefully review eligibility requirements before preparing a proposal because projects outside CIEIF’s narrowly defined climate intervention mandate are not considered.
Importantly, CIEIF’s current applicant guidelines state that AI-generated cover letters or grant applications are not accepted. Organizations intending to apply should therefore prepare their application materials independently and follow the Fund’s official requirements carefully.
Why CIEIF Matters
The rapid development of carbon removal, methane removal and other climate intervention technologies raises difficult questions about environmental safety, regulation and public acceptance.
A technology may appear scientifically promising while still producing unexpected environmental or social consequences.
CIEIF addresses this gap by financing independent analysis before experimental technologies move toward broader deployment.
Its model helps place environmental responsibility alongside technological innovation.
This makes CIEIF particularly relevant to:
- Climate scientists.
- Universities.
- Environmental nonprofits.
- Climate technology companies.
- Carbon removal startups.
- Methane removal researchers.
- Environmental impact specialists.
- Marine carbon removal researchers.
- Climate policy experts.
- Climate intervention investigators.
Conclusion
The Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF) is a specialized international fund supporting responsible assessment of emerging technologies designed to address climate change.
Established in 2023, CIEIF provides funding for environmental impact assessments, predictive impact modeling and stakeholder engagement associated with small-scale climate intervention field tests.
Its grantmaking has expanded from three US$50,000 awards in 2023 to grants currently valued at US$75,000 each.
Supported projects have explored technologies including Arctic ice thickening, biochar, direct ocean carbon removal, aquatic methane capture, atmospheric methane removal, enhanced rock weathering, ocean alkalinity enhancement and glacier preservation.
Rather than financing basic research or commercial deployment, CIEIF concentrates on a critical stage between technological development and real-world implementation: determining whether proposed field tests can be conducted responsibly and understanding what impacts could result if technologies eventually scale.
Through its combination of scientific review, environmental assessment, stakeholder engagement, peer-reviewed reporting and milestone-based grants, CIEIF is helping build a stronger evidence base for responsible climate intervention research.
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