UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth

What UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth does

The UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth is a nonprofit academic research institute within the University of Chicago that pursues climate solutions balanced against sustainable economic growth. It organizes its work around three research pillars: EPIC (Energy, Markets, and Policy) develops market-based policy and emissions trading mechanisms; ETI (Energy Technologies Initiative), partnered with the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, advances energy storage technologies including sodium- and sulfur-based batteries; and CSEI (Climate Systems Engineering initiative) evaluates climate intervention approaches including solar geoengineering and carbon removal. Supporting programs include the Clean Air Program (Air Quality Life Index, EPIC Air Quality Fund, and Emissions Market Accelerator), the Energy Transition Network coalition linking academic researchers to industry partners, and the Chicago Curriculum with degree offerings in Climate and Sustainable Growth.

The Institute is funded primarily through philanthropic grants (notably $1.5M from Open Philanthropy in July 2024 and $1.2M from Alpha Epsilon in December 2024), academic research grants, and industry partnerships with founding Energy Transition Network members Thermo Fisher Scientific, SES AI, and MTI Corporation. It serves a diversified stakeholder base: UChicago students enrolled in degree programs, policymakers in highly polluted countries seeking evidence-based frameworks, industry partners commercializing battery and clean energy technologies, and civil society organizations in 19+ countries receiving grants to install air quality monitors. Operating geographies span the United States, India, China, Mozambique, The Gambia, and at least a dozen additional countries.

The Institute's leadership comprises Founding Director Michael Greenstone, CSEI Founding Faculty Director David Keith (formerly Harvard), Energy Transition Network Co-directors Shirley Meng and Laura Gagliardi, Clean Air Program Director Christa Hasenkopf, and Senior Director of Communications Vicki Ekstrom High. Its parent is the University of Chicago; it has no external equity investors and operates as an academic unit rather than a commercial entity.

Name

UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth

Legal name

The University of Chicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth

Website

https://climate.uchicago.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth is a nonprofit academic research institute that develops climate solutions through market-based policy design, energy storage research, and climate systems engineering, while delivering educational programs and global air quality monitoring initiatives across 19+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Research and Education

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPAIAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Risk Reporting & Disclosure Analytics (TCFD/ISSB, EU Taxonomy, CSRD, NAIC) (EUABALAG), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

Keywords

• Climate research
• Energy policy
• Sustainable growth
• Air quality monitoring
• Energy storage research

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants: The institute receives major philanthropic funding from organizations like Open Philanthropy ($1.5 million initial gift) and Alpha Epsilon ($1.2 million donation) to support air quality monitoring programs and climate research initiatives
2. Academic Research Funding: Research grants and funding for specific projects including seed funding for new climate research initiatives and partnerships with national laboratories
3. Educational Programs: Revenue from academic degree programs including the Master of Science in Climate and Energy Policy, Climate and Sustainable Growth Major and Minor programs

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth is an academic research institute at the University of Chicago that conducts interdisciplinary research on balancing climate action with sustainable economic growth. It operates three research pillars—EPIC (Energy, Markets, and Policy), ETI (Energy Technologies Initiative), and CSEI (Climate Systems Engineering initiative)—and delivers educational degree programs, policy advisory work, air quality monitoring initiatives, and industry-academic partnerships.

Product overview

The Institute operates as an umbrella research and education organization comprising three core initiatives—EPIC (focused on energy markets and policy), ETI (advancing energy storage technologies), and CSEI (developing climate systems engineering including solar geoengineering). Supporting these are the Clean Air Program with its Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), EPIC Air Quality Fund, and Emissions Market Accelerator. Educational offerings include the Chicago Curriculum with degree programs. The Energy Transition Network bridges research to industry. The Institute does not offer a unified software platform but rather coordinates distinct research programs and educational initiatives focused on balancing climate action with sustainable economic growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EPIC (Energy Policy Institute): Research initiative focused on energy economics, markets, and policy
• ETI (Energy Technologies Initiative)
• CSEI (Climate Systems Engineering initiative)
• Energy Transition Network
• EPIC Air Quality Fund

Products and services

• EPIC (Energy Policy Institute at Chicago) Research initiative delivering climate solutions rooted in markets and smart policy design, leveraging the University of Chicago's economics expertise to measure climate change costs and develop market structures for decarbonization.
• ETI (Energy Technologies Initiative) A partnership with the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering developing new energy storage technologies to replace fossil fuels and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions at scale.
• CSEI (Climate Systems Engineering initiative) Research initiative developing the new field of Climate Systems Engineering to study approaches and technologies for managing greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere, including solar geoengineering and carbon removal research.
• Clean Air Program Program bringing actionable air pollution information and effective policy solutions to communities worldwide, encompassing the Air Quality Fund, Air Quality Life Index, and Emissions Market Accelerator.
• Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) Data product translating air pollution data into its impact on life expectancy for communities around the world, showing how particulate pollution affects health outcomes.
• EPIC Air Quality Fund Grant program providing funding to local governments and organizations to install air quality monitors and provide open data to communities, with a goal of reaching 1 billion people with air quality data by 2030.
• Emissions Market Accelerator Program helping governments design and deploy pollution markets to improve air quality while maintaining economic growth, currently piloting particulate pollution trading markets in Indian cities.
• Energy Transition Network Coalition connecting fundamental research to early-stage startups and major corporations to translate knowledge and innovations into climate solutions through collaborative research, workshops, and workforce development.
• Master of Science in Climate and Energy Policy Graduate degree program at the Harris School of Public Policy providing interdisciplinary training in climate and energy policy for students pursuing careers in climate-related fields.
• Climate and Sustainable Growth Major and Minor Undergraduate academic programs offering cross-disciplinary education preparing students to understand the climate challenge from economic, technical, and political perspectives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 2 million lives could be saved through vulture conservation in India based on research findings (100,000 additional deaths per year linked to vulture collapse)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ensurge MicropowercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025New member joining the Energy Transition Network to accelerate materials roadmap and explore AI applications in battery manufacturing
• UNIGRID BatterycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025New member in the Energy Transition Network collaborating on battery technology research
• South 8coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025New member in the Energy Transition Network working on lithium-ion technology applications
• Thermo Fisher ScientificcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Founding industry partner in the Energy Transition Network, collaborating with UChicago researchers on battery technology development and advancing clean energy transition solutions
• SES AIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Founding industry partner in the Energy Transition Network, working on battery technology research and development
• MTI CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Founding industry partner in the Energy Transition Network for energy technology advancement
• Pritzker School of Molecular EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Key academic partnership for ETI (Energy Technologies Initiative), co-directing the Energy Transition Network with professors Shirley Meng and Laura Gagliardi
• Argonne National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory affiliated with UChicago providing expertise in engineering, climate science, and computational modeling for climate systems engineering research
• Fundação Manhiça (CISM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing the BLAZE Project in Mozambique, establishing air quality monitoring network with low-cost sensors and reference-grade monitors across urban and rural settings
• Ministry of Health MozambiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperational partnership anchoring air quality sensors in health facilities and supporting coordination across government levels for environmental health surveillance
• Eduardo Mondlane UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership including operating reference-grade monitor, joint research, capacity building, and PhD student support for air quality research
• University of Hong KongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint faculty research collaboration through HKU-UChicago Collaborative Sustainability and Climate Research Fund, supporting five innovative international projects
• OpenAQcoreTechnology or IntegrationOpen data platform partner for sharing global air quality data, ensuring data is findable alongside other global datasets

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Resources for the Future: Independent nonprofit research institution focused on climate, energy, and environmental economics with a long track record in policy analysis. Closely parallels EPIC's market-and-policy research orientation and influence on federal climate policy design.
• Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (Climate work): Princeton's graduate policy school conducts major climate and energy economics research including the Carbon Mitigation Initiative. Comparable as a top-tier university climate policy research center with strong economics and quantitative orientation akin to EPIC's approach.
• Columbia Climate School: Columbia University's first new school in 25 years, launched in 2021 to integrate climate research and education across disciplines. Directly comparable as a peer university climate institute combining research, education, and policy engagement.
• Clean Air Fund: Global philanthropic organization funding clean air initiatives, which named Christa Hasenkopf (Director of the Clean Air Program at UChicago) as inaugural Senior Fellow. Directly comparable as a peer organization in the global air quality funding and advocacy ecosystem.
• Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability: Stanford's first new school in 70 years, launched in 2022 to integrate climate and sustainability research across disciplines. Highly comparable in scope, ambition, and structure as a university-wide institute covering climate science, energy technology, and policy.
• Harvard Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability: Harvard's central climate research and education hub, founded in 2022 around the time David Keith was still leading Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program. Directly comparable as a university-based climate institute spanning research, policy, and education, and a natural talent/personnel exchange point with UChicago.
• MIT Climate Project / MIT Energy Initiative: MIT's long-standing cross-disciplinary energy and climate research initiative with strong industry partnerships and policy engagement. Closely parallels the Institute's combination of fundamental research, technology translation, and policy work, particularly through MITEI's industrial consortium model akin to UChicago's Energy Transition Network.
• Yale Center for Environmental Justice: Yale's cross-disciplinary environmental research and education hub combining science, policy, and justice-focused work. Comparable as a peer Ivy League university climate/environmental institute with global research scope.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Large global nonprofit conducting research and producing data products on climate, energy, and environmental issues. Overlaps with EPIC's AQLI-style mission of translating environmental data into policy action, but WRI operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope.

Regional players

• Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment: University of Oxford's institute integrating climate, energy, and environmental economics with policy engagement. Highly comparable mission but UK-based, making it a regional rather than direct US competitor in the academic climate policy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UChiClimate
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UChiClimate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uchicago-climate
• Instagraminstagram.com/uchiclimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UChicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth