There is no single path to achieving breakthroughs. Sometimes they stem from cutting-edge scientific research that spawns game-changing technologies. In other cases, a breakthrough emerges from an innovative business model, policy framework, or grassroots movement that reshapes incentives and mindsets. Breakthroughs can manifest as a revolutionary product, transformative legislation, or even a profound cultural shift. They take years to happen and can be full of stops and starts—many of which may look like nothing more than failures. They are imperfect, but ultimately and importantly, they can change the world.

The journey to a breakthrough often starts with a person or team taking a chance to try something new, something most think impossible. Armed with a belief in their own ambition and in the audacity of their idea, these visionaries begin an effort that could result in major progress. In the climate space, take the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, or the documentary An Inconvenient Truth in 2006. Consider the Beyond Coal Campaign, the Paris and Kigali agreements, or Urgenda Foundation v. The State of the Netherlands.

At Climate Breakthrough, these are the kinds of efforts we think about and back.