What The 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara does

The 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara is a university-affiliated climate policy research organization operating as a "think-and-do tank" within UCSB's Division of Social Sciences. It produces empirically grounded research across three pillars — accelerating the clean energy transition, phasing out fossil fuels, and helping communities adapt to climate impacts — and serves federal, state, and local policymakers, environmental and labor organizations, environmental justice groups, and journalists covering climate and energy policy. The organization is led by Faculty Director Matto Mildenberger and Executive Director Lucas Boyd, with a team of approximately 15 staff and researchers, and operates from Henley Hall on the UCSB campus in Santa Barbara, California.

Its core products are policy research reports, public opinion polling studies, interactive data tools, and a policy library. Notable recent outputs include the "Politicians Shouldn't Hide From Climate" polling report (July 2026, two national surveys totaling ~3,498 respondents), the Santa Barbara County onshore oil phaseout community and labor impacts report (April 2026), the British Columbia 2024 post-election climate polling report (April 2025), the Clean Heat Opportunity industrial decarbonization roadmap, and interactive tools such as the Taiwan Climate Opinion Map and Oil Well Explorer. The underlying technology is a social-science research methodology encompassing survey design, randomized candidate-choice and framing experiments, geo-targeted public opinion polling (including respondents within quarter-mile of oil and gas wells), and mixed-methods community impact assessments combining workforce data, surveys, and worker interviews.

The business model is non-commercial: The 2035 Initiative does not sell products or services and provides all research outputs at no cost. Revenue consists of research grants, foundation funding, and donor contributions, sourced from foundations, government agencies, and partner non-profits. Go-to-market is research-to-policy focused, reaching decision-makers through direct engagement, policy roundtables, a monthly newsletter, a podcast, an online newsroom, and the searchable Policy Hub website. Strategic partnerships include core alliances with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, Rewiring America, UCSB's Institute for Energy Efficiency, and the UCSB Division of Social Sciences, alongside mission-aligned collaborators such as Fresh Energy, labor groups, and environmental justice organizations.

Name

The 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara

Legal name

The 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara

Website

https://2035initiative.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The 2035 Initiative is a UC Santa Barbara-affiliated climate policy think tank producing empirically-grounded research on clean energy transition, fossil fuel phaseout, and climate adaptation for policymakers, environmental organizations, and journalists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Policy Research

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD), Transition Plan Development & Implementation Roadmapping (EUABAKAB), Climate & GHG/Emissions Modeling & Scenario Analysis (Inventories, Projections, Net-Zero Pathways) (EUAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Climate policy research
• Public opinion polling
• Energy transition research
• Fossil fuel phaseout
• Policy think tank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Foundation Funding: The organization receives funding from foundations and donors to support climate policy research operations. The annual report and give page reference partnerships with non-profit organizations, foundations, and government agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The 2035 Initiative is a university-affiliated think-and-do tank that produces empirically grounded climate and energy policy research, including national public opinion polling, policy roadmaps for the clean energy transition and fossil fuel phaseout, community and labor impact assessments, and interactive data tools. Outputs are delivered directly to federal, state, and local policymakers, journalists, environmental organizations, and the public at no cost.

Product overview

The 2035 Initiative is a think-and-do tank that develops empirically-grounded climate and energy policy research. It is not a software product but rather produces research reports, polling data, interactive tools, and policy recommendations. Core offerings include polling and public opinion research on climate issues, policy roadmaps for clean energy transition and fossil fuel phaseout, and data tools including the Taiwan Climate Opinion Map and Oil Well Explorer. The organization operates through three pillars: expanding clean energy and electrification, phasing out fossil fuels, and protecting communities from climate impacts. Research is disseminated through a Policy Library, Data & Tools repository, podcast series, and specific reports on industrial heat, oil phaseout, and public opinion polling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Polling: Politicians Shouldn't Hide From Climate Empirical polling report testing the 'climate hush' argument with two nationally representative surveys evaluating whether campaigning on climate costs Democrats votes. Contains experiments on candidate choice, policy framing, and voter motivation.
• Potential Community and Labor Impacts of an Onshore Oil Phaseout in Santa Barbara County Report synthesizing workforce data, county-wide public opinion surveys, and interviews with oil and gas workers to inform Santa Barbara County policymakers planning oil phaseout ordinances.
• Post-Election Polling Report: British Columbia 2024 Provincial Election Post-mortem assessment of the role that climate change played in the October 2024 BC provincial election using an original survey of BC voters.
• Americans prefer clean electric appliances Collaboration with Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and Rewiring America polling Americans on preferences for electric vs. fossil fuel home appliances.
• Taiwan Climate Opinion Map Interactive tool for tracking climate opinion in Taiwan.
• Oil Well Explorer Interactive data tool for exploring oil well data in Santa Barbara County.
• Clean Heat Hub A near-term national roadmap for electrifying low- and medium-temperature industrial heat, part of The Clean Heat Opportunity initiative.
• Policy Library Searchable and filterable database of all reports, briefs, datasets, and op-eds organized by topic, geography, or year.
• Data & Tools Collection of interactive tools and data resources for climate and energy policy research.
• Podcast Podcast series discussing climate and energy policy topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Industrial clean heat roadmap reached federal policymakers, journalists, and stakeholders within weeks of release
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fresh EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-hosted a webinar on policy pathways for decarbonizing manufacturing in Minnesota (May 14, 2026). Partnership for actionable, cost-effective decarbonization opportunities for industry.
• Labor GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Working closely with labor groups on Santa Barbara County oil phaseout research to understand workforce impacts and develop policy recommendations supporting affected workers.
• Environmental Justice OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborated with environmental justice organizations on translating oil phaseout research into concrete policy recommendations for Santa Barbara County.
• Local Environmental NonprofitsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with local environmental nonprofits in Santa Barbara County for oil phaseout research and community engagement.
• Yale Program on Climate Change CommunicationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborated on the Climate Change in the American Mind survey (Spring 2023) examining American preferences for electric vs. fossil fuel home appliances. Partnership leverages Yale's nationally representative survey infrastructure.
• Rewiring AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnered with Rewiring America on the electrification research examining household appliance preferences. Brings expertise on household electrification policy andIRA incentives.
• UCSB Division of Social SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organizational unit at University of California Santa Barbara. The 2035 Initiative is a project of the Division of Social Sciences, providing institutional affiliation and administrative support.
• UCSB Institute for Energy EfficiencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated institute at UC Santa Barbara focused on energy efficiency research. The partnership provides technical expertise and research collaboration opportunities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Climate Central: Climate science research and communications organization that translates climate data into accessible analysis for media and policymakers. Comparable to the 2035 Initiative in combining rigorous research with strong media engagement and policy translation.
• Energy Innovation: Climate and clean energy policy research firm that develops policy roadmaps and analysis for state and federal decision-makers. Directly comparable in producing empirically grounded climate policy research aimed at accelerating clean energy transition.
• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): Independent climate think tank producing rigorous energy transition research and policy roadmaps. Highly comparable to the 2035 Initiative in mission, methodology (research-to-policy), and focus on clean energy transition and fossil fuel phaseout.
• Resources for the Future: Independent nonprofit research institution focused on environmental, energy, and natural resource economics. Comparable to the 2035 Initiative in producing rigorous, independent policy research with quantitative economic and environmental analysis aimed at informing climate and energy policy.
• Third Way: Centrist think tank with a dedicated climate and clean energy program producing policy research and political strategy on climate issues. Comparable in targeting the gap between technical climate research and political feasibility.
• Yale Program on Climate Change Communication: Yale-affiliated climate communication research program that conducts nationally representative public opinion polling on climate change. Direct collaborator with the 2035 Initiative on the Climate Change in the American Mind survey and shares a comparable methodology and target audience of policymakers and journalists.
• Rewiring America: Nonprofit focused on electrification policy and household transition to electric appliances. Direct collaborator with the 2035 Initiative on appliance preference polling and shares a focus on translating research into actionable electrification policy.

Regional players

• Fresh Energy: Minnesota-based clean energy policy nonprofit that partners with the 2035 Initiative on regional decarbonization work (May 2026 webinar on Minnesota manufacturing decarbonization). Comparable in climate policy research and advocacy but focused on a different US region.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Large global research organization working on climate, energy, water, and sustainability. Overlaps with the 2035 Initiative on clean energy transition and climate policy research but operates at significantly larger scale and broader topical scope.
• Brookings Institution: Major public policy think tank with active climate and energy policy research programs. Comparable in producing influential policy research but operates as a broad multi-topic institution rather than a climate-specialized think tank.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-2035-initiative-at-uc-santa-barbara

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The 2035 Initiative at UC Santa Barbara