The Cause: The eight warmest years since 1880 have all occurred since 2001 and it is estimated that temperatures will probably rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) during the twenty-first century. Human activity has caused most of this observed temperature increase, and if global warming causes are not addressed, these changes will lead to tremendous climate disruptions around the world.

The Scope: Bay Area climate change experts identified 15 top climate change-related nonprofits working in the San Francisco Bay Area. These organizations include associations, advocacy groups focused on transportation, research organizations, grassroots organizers, policy focused organizations, open space advocates, organizations promoting clean energy solutions and sustainability, environmental health justice organizations, and more.

97 Local Climate Change experts recommended the following 15 outstanding nonprofits.
Meet the experts and read more about this research.

	Top Nonprofit	Mission
1	Union of Concerned Scientists	The Union of Concerned Scientists is a nonprofit partnership of scientists and citizens combining rigorous scientific analysis, innovative policy development, and effective citizen advocacy to achieve practical environmental solutions.
2	Sierra Club	Sierra Club's mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
3	ICLEI-Local Governments For Sustainability	ICLEI is an international membership association of local governments dedicated to climate protection and sustainable development.
4	Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)	NRDC's mission is to safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends.
5	350.org	350.org unites an international movement around the climate solutions that science and justice demand.
6	Greenbelt Alliance	Greenbelt Alliance protects open spaces and creates vibrant places throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. They work in partnership with diverse coalitions on public policy development, advocacy, and education.
7	TransForm	TransForm works to create world-class public transportation and walkable communities in the Bay Area and beyond. It builds diverse coalitions, influence policy, and develop innovative programs to improve the lives of all people and protect the environment.
8	Rainforest Action Network (RAN)	Rainforest Action Network's mission is to want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive.
9	Climate Protection Campaign	The Climate Protection Campaign mission is to create a positive future for our children and all life by inspiring action in response to the climate crisis. They advance practical, science-based solutions for achieving significant greenhouse gas reductions.
10	Center for Biological Diversity	The Center for Biological Diversity believes that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature — to the existence in the world of a vast diversity of wild animals and plants. Because diversity has intrinsic value, and because its loss impoverishes society, they work to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction. They do so through science, law, and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters, and climate that species need to survive.
11	The Energy Foundation	The Energy Foundation is a partnership of major donors interested in solving the world's energy problems. Their mission is to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy — new technologies that are essential components of a clean energy future.
12	ClimateWorks Foundation	ClimateWorks is an international philanthropic network dedicated to achieving low-carbon prosperity.
13	Ella Baker Center for Human Rights	Through organizing, political education, leadership development, and advocacy, the Ella Baker Center unlocks the power of low-income people, people of color, and their allies to transform California and inspire the world.
14	Communities for a Better Environment (CBE)	The mission of Communities for a Better Environment is to achieve environmental health and justice by building grassroots power in and with communities of color and working-class communities.
15	Acterra: Action for a Sustainable Earth	To bring people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet.

Check out all nonprofit reviews for Local Climate Change (Bay Area).

Have questions about these results? Review our methodology.