Future Matters

What are the world's most effective organizations working for climate protection? That is the question the charity evaluator Giving Green aims to answer every year. They just announced this year's evaluations, and, out of thousands of international organizations working on #ClimateChange, we are proud to have been one of the few that have been selected as a grantee. As a leader in #Philantropy research, Giving Green has extremely high standards for their grants. As proponents of careful analysis in our own work, we appreciate the rigorous evaluation that went into identifying us as one of the very best climate organizations globally in terms of #EmissionsReduction per dollar donated. The $200,000 grant from the Giving Green Fund will bolster our work identifying and advocating for impactful #EUPolicy opportunities in climate. In our policy prioritization research report earlier this year, we identified the eight #ClimatePolicy opportunities for the EU's 2024-2029 mandate with the greatest untapped potential to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions. Since the report launch, we have been working to turn our findings into policy action by building engagement with partners and decision makers across the EU policy ecosystem. Thank you, Giving Green, for the grant and support! Take a look at the full report about our work here:  https://buff.ly/40tUbkj From Giving Green: "Why do we think Future Matters will use this funding well? … The limited capacity of its current climate team has meant that Future Matters is unable to pursue all of the promising advocacy opportunities that it identifies." This is why, even though we have the support of this generous grant, we are seeking more supporters to donate and expand our work. Donate here: https://buff.ly/3xBraHn

We're #hiring a Strategy Consultant in AI safety and biosecurity! Future Matters is seeking a Strategy Consultant to join our growing team and enhance our consulting services in AI governance and biosecurity. In this role, you advise think tanks, advocacy organizations, government officials, companies, and movement leaders who are committed to improving AI governance and biosecurity. Through your work in this role, you will help mitigate major risks to humanity associated with advanced AI development and ensure that the world is better protected against devastating pandemics. Future Matters is a strategy consultancy and think tank dedicated to mitigating global catastrophic risks stemming from climate change, AI systems, and biotechnology. We help a wide range of change agents – from policymakers and nonprofits to social movements – in finding the most effective measures and coming up with strong strategies to get them implemented. Applications are processed on a rolling basis: https://buff.ly/3W2xoIi Not interested yourself, but know someone who might be? Share our job offer and be rewarded: If we hire someone through you, you will get €500.

We're #hiring a Strategy Consultant in AI safety and biosecurity! Future Matters is seeking a Strategy Consultant to join our growing team and enhance our consulting services in AI governance and biosecurity. In this role, you advise think tanks, advocacy organizations, government officials, companies, and movement leaders who are committed to improving AI governance and biosecurity. Through your work in this role, you will help mitigate major risks to humanity associated with advanced AI development and ensure that the world is better protected against devastating pandemics. Future Matters is a strategy consultancy and think tank dedicated to mitigating global catastrophic risks stemming from climate change, AI systems, and biotechnology. We help a wide range of change agents – from policymakers and nonprofits to social movements – in finding the most effective measures and coming up with strong strategies to get them implemented. Applications are processed on a rolling basis: https://buff.ly/3W2xoIi Not interested yourself, but know someone who might be? Share our job offer and be rewarded: If we hire someone through you, you will get €500.

Future Matters endorsed by leading expert on effective charitable organizations We are thrilled to share that the latest episode of the The School for Moral Ambition‘s podcast features high praise for our work: In their interview, Bram Schaper - a leading European expert on effective giving - highlights our work, our unique theory of change in climate policy advocacy, and ends by inviting listeners to donate to support Future Matters. Interviewed by podcast host Anna Gimbrere, Bram Schaper as the director of Amsterdam-based charity evaluator and donation platform Doneer Effectief, praised our work on European climate policy: "Future Matters is doing amazing work. They're really up there with Ursula von der Leyen. With their scientific research, they help the European Commission prepare the Green Deal II.“ He highlighted Future Matters' focus on research-based recommendations for global policy that take into account underrated policy areas: “While only 8% of CO2 emissions come from Europe, 92% come from elsewhere - whereas with policy advocacy you very often think about your own country’s borders, or the European boarders. But Future Matters says, you can really make a lot of impact abroad with [for example] smart European price incentives.” Something he found compelling: ”I believed it immediately. They are so savvy, and so effective... that I am totally a fan of what they are doing.” We sincerely appreciate the high praise from the head of one of the leading analytical teams in charity evaluation and recommendation in Europe. Bram Schaper concluded the interview by encouraging listeners to support our organization. He emphasized that donations would help Future Matters "really do something effective about the climate problem.” Listen to the interview (conducted in Dutch) and learn more about Bram's and Doneer Effectief's work in routing donations to the most promising charities across fields like global health and poverty, climate change, and animal welfare: https://buff.ly/3xEz42F Support Future Matters in advancing policies that reduce suffering and global catastrophic risks: https://buff.ly/3xBraHn We thank everyone who is already supporting our work with donations.

Watch the workshop: Creating a network organization for reducing risks and assuring ethical development of powerful AI systems AI systems are advancing rapidly, and their capabilities are increasing massively. But these systems carry a spectrum of risks that we haven’t put solutions in place to prevent. As a result, AI systems pose a serious threat to society. They can amplify social injustices. They can be corrupted by malicious actors to hurt or kill people. Not only that, but they might even take autonomous, catastrophic actions that their creators can’t control. Kyle Gracey, our Strategy Consultant on AI risk and biosecurity, hosted an interactive workshop for those dedicated to ensuring AI doesn’t harm humanity. Network organizations could provide a space for the movement to coordinate on strategy, communications, and policy. This creates trust and cohesion across the social movement, building shared power to increase its chances of success. Network organizations are a common feature of many successful social movements. Currently, no network organization exists that unifies #AISafety and ethics efforts. Future Matters is incubating such a network, with the intention of spinning it out into its own organization. We want to make sure that this network will offer the best possible services to support communities, mitigating risks and fostering ethical development in AI systems. The #workshop titled "Designing an International AI Safety and Ethics Network" explored what the AI ethics and safety movement can learn from existing network organizations, and how those organizations work. The majority of the workshop allowed participants to provide input on the key features that an international network of AI ethics and safety organizations would most need to be successful. The workshop was part of the Virtual AI Safety Unconference (#VAISU), which brought together over 300 AI safety professionals and enthusiasts from the public. Watch the recording of the workshop on YouTube: https://buff.ly/4c3hC6W

After the EU elections: Three overlooked factors that will now determine EU climate policy Despite much attention on victories for the far right, the center has held: The "central coalition" of Christian Democrats, S&D and RenewEurope's liberals won around 400 of the 720 seats in the #EuropeanParliament - a majority, though uncomfortably narrow. How will this affect the future of EU climate policy? These three factors are decisive: 1️⃣ Will there be enough discipline within the EPP to form an alliance with the Greens? The central coalition’s majority - needed to confirm von der Leyen’s presidency - is fragile. It could only afford about ~10% of MEPs abstaining, while in 2019, 13% did. To secure a stable maiority, the EPP may have to ally with either the weakened Greens or the ECR. Both options carry political risks for von der Leyen: an alliance with the Greens could alienate right-wing voters and some EPP members, while an alliance with the ECR could jeopardize cooperation with S&D and Renew.  2️⃣ Shifts in party group sizes will shape coalition dynamics The EPP has invited Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar to become a new member. Renew faces losses due to political shifts in France and the Netherlands, but could gain a few Volt MEPs, who are considering leaving the Greens/EFA group. Far-right group formations are worth watching, especially who AfD and Orbán's Fidesz will join. Cooperation between ECR (Conservatives and Reformists) and ID (Identity and Democracy) is possible, though Meloni seems much less interested than Le Pen. 3️⃣ Changes in the composition and behavior of the European Council may change EU policy more than the new Parliament itself In the short term, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni remains the most important player on the far right, and she could persuade von der Leyen and the EPP to of a backroom deal to gain her ECR votes for confirmation. Together with Renew, they'd have a majority that could shape the EU's migration and climate policies during the mandate. France's upcoming snap elections in France could do much to change the European Council's stance on climate policy and have an immediate effect on President Macron's influence in negotiations around EU leadership roles. Despite these challenges, a large majority of Europeans voted for parties that support the #EuropeanGreenDeal, indicating strong public support for #ClimateAction on the heels of a cost-of-living crisis. We are not in a full-on rollback scenario for the European Green Deal. While the EPP will challenge some climate policies and be reluctant to tackle many remaining climate risks, all four centrist groups support the Green Deal as a whole and the climate targets in particular.

What is "results-based climate finance", the proposed new EU mechanism to accelerate the global transition to renewables and clean tech? The global transition to renewable energies and other clean technologies (#CleanTech) is a core element of climate action. But low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face barriers to deploying them widely. They often don't have the financial resources to pay for clean tech, which in some industries is still more expensive than fossil fuel-based technologies. These barriers currently favor fossil fuels. Investments in fossil fuel-based technologies threaten to "lock in" high emissions long-term. EU measures can help remove the barriers and provide long-term strategies to accelerate the deployment of #RenewableEnergy and other #GreenTech – innovative financing mechanisms and partnerships are an opportunity for the EU to drive the global energy transition. About 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this century will come from emerging economies and LMICs. A top measure as identified by our latest study, "results-based climate funds" would subsidize projects that deploy and scale up greenhouse gas mitigation technologies in LMICs – based on their actual mitigation impact. This would lower prices, make cleantech more accessible, and accelerate #innovation and deployment of low-emission technologies, starting where emissions can be avoided most cost-effectively. While accelerating global decarbonization, the funds would both benefit the cleantech industries of EU and partner countries and foster trusted relationships with LMICs. Want to learn more about how results-based climate funds and climate partnerships can accelerate cleantech deployment, and how such policies could be designed? Read the report: https://buff.ly/3JmNUgG 

Will the European Green Deal, once implemented, have a global impact? 94% of non-EU experts say yes. This impressive consensus comes from the 2024 'European Green Deal Barometer' published by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP). More than 300 environmental and #sustainability experts from the EU and beyond contribute their knowledge to the Barometer each year. But how exactly can the #GreenDeal have maximum global impact for #ClimateAction? It's crucial to prioritize policies with the greatest mitigation potential. Our first of its kind systematic prioritization study, "8 EU Policy Priorities for Global Decarbonization", highlights which #EU policies have the highest potential to reduce global emissions through four mechanisms including technological and diplomatic leadership. Discover the top 8 policies in our detailed report: https://buff.ly/3JmNUgG

Energy ministers discussed the European Green Deal's future At this week's Energy Council #TTE, EU energy ministers met with the European Commission to discuss critical issues, with the European Green Deal (EGD) being one of the most important items on the agenda. The #EGD is the EU's comprehensive strategy to achieve #ClimateNeutrality by 2050, fulfilling its commitments under the Paris Agreement. It includes initiatives in the fields of climate, environment, energy, transport, industry, agriculture and sustainable finance, highlighting their strong interlinkages. The ministers exchanged views on how the European Green Deal can make Europe's economy future-proof. In addition, the Commission updated ministers on the final national energy and climate plans submitted by member states, which are crucial for achieving the Green Deal's objectives and the agreed EU-wide targets. Our latest report provides a systematic prioritization of policy options and explains how to effectively advance the European Green Deal in the next mandate, especially increasing its global impact on emissions reductions and decarbonization. Read the report here:

With their limited resources, non-profits depend on effective project management. Kyle Gracey, Strategy Consultant at Future Matters, will moderate the online panel "Project Management in the Non-Profit Sector".  Hosted by the PMI Pittsburgh Chapter, the panel will discuss how non-profit professionals can leverage #ProjectManagement tools and techniques, unique aspects of project management roles in the non-profit sector compared to other industries, and the significant benefits #NonProfit organizations gain through proficient project management. When: Thursday, June 13 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Where: Online, open to all Register here: https://lnkd.in/gbhdYHUf Sponsored by: Project Management Institute, Pittsburgh Chapter This event is open to anyone interested in #NonProfitLeadership and understanding how project management can drive success in the non-profit sector. A US$10 registration fee applies for those who are not members of the Project Management Institute.