2024 Annual Report
Accelerating progress to address unsolved climate challenges.
A Letter from the Leadership Team
Spark Climate Solutions was founded in 2022 with the recognition that achieving a safe and stable climate requires not only the rapid deployment of existing technologies but also innovative new solutions to difficult and neglected challenges. As 2025 unfolds, recent events make it clear that this mission is more important and more urgent than ever:
Rapid global warming—which is not fully explained by climate science—resulted in 2024 being the first year to exceed 1.5°C.
Apocalyptic fires in Los Angeles in January reminded us that dangerous climate events are accelerating, including a 10x increase in the area burned by wildfire in the western US over the past century.
New research has found that the recent acceleration in atmospheric methane content may be partially driven by warming-induced emissions, especially from tropical wetlands. This suggests the onset of a self-reinforcing cycle in which warming and greenhouse gas emissions amplify each other.
Political realignment in the U.S. foretells that the U.S. government will not only stop driving climate progress, but will work to reverse recent advances.
These developments emphasize not only the urgent need for comprehensive solutions across climate sectors and risks, but also the critical leadership role that NGOs and philanthropy must play in driving climate progress.
Despite the scale of the climate crisis, critical solution areas with the potential to reduce emissions and climate risks remain neglected. Spark plays a unique role in addressing these gaps, bringing emerging approaches to the table sooner and accelerating mitigation progress. In 2024, Spark’s influence in these fields became even more cemented and recognized, with strong progress across all of the programs.
WhyLivestockEntericMethaneMitigation?
Entericemissionsaccountfor25%ofall human-drivenmethaneemissions,continueto grow,andarethehuman-drivenmethane sourcewiththelargestremaininggapin technicalapproachdevelopment Enteric methane-targetedsolutionscouldhelptobring thisdownquickly However,currentsolutions canaddressatmostonly~10%ofemissions, andbaselineprojectionshaveemissions continuingtorisethrough2100andbeyond, warmingtheplanetby025°Cin2100,and emittingtheequivalentof9-225GTCO₂then (GWP100-GWP20)
Spark’s Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation Program accelerates progress toward reducing emissions from the ruminant systems of livestock globally by doing key early field-building work and establishing foundational institutions to further this work. In 2024, the program:
Further developed the value chain by launching an industry association and designing an advance market commitment targeted to launch this year; Strengthened the innovation ecosystem, including steering more than $45M from public and private sources into research and development of livestock enteric methane mitigation solutions, emphasizing the need for more efficacious, pasture-applicable strategies;
Advanced policy efforts, leading to the bipartisan introduction of legislation to expand research at federal institutions and create incentive mechanisms for the adoption of enteric methane solutions on farms, while starting to support more advocacy capacity in the field across organizations by launching a Livestock Methane Policy Coalition; Grew and coordinated the field through many strategic engagements, including co-organizing the only annual conference dedicated to the field.
→ Read more on page 10
Spark’sMethaneRemovalProgramacceleratesthedevelopmentofthisearly-stageresearchfieldto countertherisksofpotentialhigh-methanefutures.Theprogramfundsscientificresearch,supportsthe growthoftheresearchcommunity,andadvocatesforfundingfrompublicandothersciencefunding sourcestowardthedeterminationofwhethertherearesafeandscalablemethaneremovalapproachesIn 2024,theprogram:
Ran the largest ever research-funding program in the field, funding an additional $3 9M in research across 14 projects in two rounds to advance scientific understanding and progress across multiple possible methane removal approaches and key associated climate science areas, bringing total research funding to date to through Spark to $7M across 23 projects; Engaged with public research agencies around the need and potential for methane removal research supporting release of the National Academy of Sciences study on Atmospheric Methane Removal in October 2024, which calls for $50-80M/yr in research funding for the field;
Hosted multiple scientific workshops and conference sessions, and saw overall scientific interest significantly grow with our engagement.
→ Read more on page 14
WhyMethaneRemoval?
Althoughmethaneisrelativelyquicklybroken downbysignificantchemicalandbiological processes,ongoinghighmethaneemissions continuetooutpacetheseprocesses,leading toanetaccumulation.Asaresult,methanedrivenwarminghasalreadyreached0.5°Cand isincreasing,equivalenttotheimpactof approximately400gigatonsofCO₂ Emissions reductionsmustbetheprimarytoolin decreasingatmosphericlevelsandassociated warming.Methaneremovalapproachescould provetobeanimportantadditionaltoolto hastenmethanebreakdowntoaddress historicalemissions,andongoingemissions, suchasfromwarming-inducedfeedbackslike elevatedemissionsfromtropicalwetlandsand permafrostthaw.
The Transformational Agricultural Nitrogen Management Solutions program seed is working to advance novel approaches to nitrogen management in agriculture to further reduce nitrous oxide (N₂O) greenhouse gas emissions—which currently exceed 1 GT CO₂e/yr and continue to grow—and other environmental harms from agricultural nitrogen runoff. In 2024, Spark fostered the development of “Nitrogen 2.0,” a systematic rethinking of nitrogen use in agriculture toward these goals. On N₂O more broadly, Spark helped to spur forward the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment, for which Spark’s Principal Scientist, Eric Davidson, led a chapter.
→ Read more on page 19
As the planet warms, natural systems like wetlands, thawing permafrost, and forests are beginning to release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the feedback loop—where warming increases greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn accelerates warming—risks becoming a self-reinforcing cycle that would be extremely difficult to control. Spark’s Warming-Induced Greenhouse Gas Emissions program seed is working to accelerate scientific understanding and action on natural feedbacks and support work to quantify and identify measures to manage greenhouse gas emissions from warming natural systems. This area brought together experts at a well-attended session during the American Geophysical Union annual meeting, which focused on gaps in our understanding of natural feedbacks from the tropics to the poles. Looking ahead, Spark is advancing this work through ongoing scientific workshops and the development of roadmaps in 2025 to galvanize further action in this critical, overlooked area.
Driving the development of new climate solutions is at the core of our work. We believe that accelerating the development of effective approaches to mitigate all greenhouse gas sources will enable a safer climate future. Given our climate trajectory, expanding efforts in under-addressed areas now can significantly accelerate the timeline to additional mitigation potential. We build communities of researchers and funders to tackle these challenges, while also supporting or leading efforts to build markets, advance policy, engage stakeholders, and drive systemic change.
In 2024, our team grew to 14 people, strengthening our ability to support each of the fields in which we work. This expansion included the addition of Dr. Phil Duffy as Chief Scientist, bringing additional invaluable additional expertise to Spark’s mission.
The challenges ahead demand our best efforts, ingenuity, and teamwork. We must not only meet this moment but actively shape it. All of us at Spark are deeply grateful to our allies for their support and collaboration in 2024, driving forward meaningful climate progress.
Erika Reinhardt Executive Director, Co-Founder
David Mann Head of Strategy, Co-Founder
Duffy Chief Scientist
Phil
2024 Highlights
Full Programs
Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation
Accelerating field progress toward reducing emissions from the ruminant systems of livestock currently 25% of human-driven methane emissions globally by doing key early field-building work and establishing foundational institutions to further this work
Advance & Grow Policy Efforts
Support the Innovation Ecosystem
Develop the Value Chain
Grow the Field
Catalyzed bipartisan introduction of the EMIT LESS Act, which aims to expand research at federal institutions and create incentive mechanisms for the adoption of enteric methane solutions on farms It was endorsed by NGOs, producer groups, and private companies and is a testament to progressing ideas among diverse stakeholders
Laid the groundwork for the 2025 launch of the National Livestock Methane Policy Coalition to build capacity across multiple advocacy groups
Helped guide $45M in R&D funding from both public and private sources via partnerships with foundations and investors.
Funded research on a new pasture-applicable enteric methane mitigation approach
Launched an industry association with 25 founding members
Working with the University of Chicago Market Shaping Accelerator, the Global Methane Hub, and The Nature Conservancy, initiated work towards launching an advance market commitment in 2025 bringing significant buyer commitments to the field
Co-organized the only annual conference dedicated to the field with UC Davis and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Methane Removal
Accelerating the development of this early-stage field to explore the scientific and social viability of removing previously emitted methane from the atmosphere to mitigate the risks of potential high-methane futures.
Develop a Robust, Independent Research Community Towards Determining Approach Feasibility
Advance Legal & Governance Frameworks
Funded an additional $3 9M in research across 14 projects, growing researcher interest in key disciplines, and bringing total research funding to date to $7M
Engaged with federal funding agencies to educate them on methane removal research potential
Actively promoted the results of the National Academies’ study on Atmospheric Methane Removal with policymakers, with support for MR research added to appropriations bill to be voted on in 2025
Co-hosted a workshop on biological pathways for methane removal with the Homeworld Collective and convened and chaired multiple sessions at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting
Columbia’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law released papers on atmospheric oxidation enhancement and soil amendments that were supported by Spark and ClimateWorks
2024 Highlights Program
Seeds
Transformational Agricultural Nitrogen Management Systems
Accelerating the development and implementation of transformative approaches to nitrogen management in agriculture to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental harms.
Align the Field Around HighPotential,
Transformative
Approaches
Co-organized a workshop of 30+ researchers to develop a vision of more circular, targeted, and efficient use of nitrogen in agriculture, with a goal of cutting polluting nitrogen losses by half while maintaining high levels of productivity, named Nitrogen 2 0
Coordinated and authored a chapter of the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment
Presented the Nitrogen 2 0 vision to various expert audiences to build awareness and support for these ideas, including at the American Geophysical Union annual conference
Warming-induced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Accelerating work around climate feedback emissions to improve scientific understanding of how these emissions are likely to evolve, get decisionmakers to understand and act on these risks, and identify potential measures to reduce some of these emissions from tropical wetlands, permafrost, and forests.
Convened and chaired well-attended oral and poster sessions at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting.
Grow the Field of Researchers
Educate Key Stakeholders
Had our workshop proposal on an early-warning system for rising methane emissions selected from a competitive review to be convened by the Aspen Global Change Institute in 2025 or 2026.
Participated in scientific and technical workshops and conferences focused on methane feedbacks, tipping elements, and state-of-the-art earth system modeling.
Scoped the current state of the science of risk of amplified emissions due to warming from methane hydrates
Scoped the current state of tropical wetland methane emission research and developed a wetland and inland water state of the science briefing
Shared findings with funders, policymakers, and other key stakeholders
Our Supporters
Spark’s impact is made possible by a community of generous and pioneering individuals, foundations, and organizations that share our vision for a safer climate future We deeply appreciate those who supported our work in 2024—their partnership and belief in our mission make our work possible.
The Leila Yassa & David Mendels Fund
The Shwab Eidelson Fund
In addition generous individual and anonymous funders
Newman Family Charitable Fund
Benji and Carolyn Jasik
Eric Neuner
Ross Boucher
Wedner Family Foundation
Vivo Foundation
Introduction
OurMission
Toaccelerateprogressinemerging,potentially high-impactapproachesforclimatemitigation andadaptation,contributingtotheportfolioof strategiesneededtorestoreasafeclimateand minimizeriskstosocietalstability.
HowWeWork
OurVision
Arestoredandstableclimatethatsupports thrivinghumanandnaturalsystemswhile preventingthemostseverepotentialrisksalong theway.
Ascience-drivennonprofit,Sparkacceleratesprogressinemergingfieldsbyworkingdirectlywith scientists,policymakers,andpeerorganizations.Wetakeadeeplycollaborativefield-buildingapproach, doingamixtureofdirectworkinthefield,regranting,andlaunchingnewinitiativesinordertosupportthe growthoftalent,institutionalcapacity,andcollectiveknowledgetosetupthefieldforlong-termsuccess.
Catalyzing scientific research
FocusAreas
Advancing innovationforward policy
Developing appropriate incentive structures
Supporting social science, governance, and policy development
Building talent capacity and coordination across the field
Sparkfocusesonemerging,neglectedclimatefieldsthatrequirea combinationofinnovation,policyandcapacity-buildingsupport,and holdlarge-scaleclimateriskmitigationpotential.Ourcurrentfocus areascenteronunmitigatedemissionssourcesofclimate superpollutants,especiallymethane.Methaneisthesecondbiggest driverofclimatechange,contributingaboutathirdoftoday’s warming,withongoingrapidincreases.Asubstantialportionof humanmethaneemissionsarefromsourceswelackthe technologiesneededtoaddress,particularlyinthelivestocksector. And,astheplanetwarms,naturalsystemslikewetlandsandthawing permafrostarestartingtoemitmethanetotheatmosphere,adding tohumanemissions.
Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation
How can we reduce the climate impact of high global meat and dairy demand?
TheChallenge
Entericmethane themethaneemittedduringthe digestiveprocessofruminantlivestocksuchas cattle accountsfor25%ofallhumanmethane emissionsExistingsolutionscoverlessthan10%of globalentericemissions,donotaddresslivestockin pasturesystems,anddonotprovidethescaleof emissionsreductionsneededIncreasingglobal demandforbeefanddairyaddstotheurgencyof developingandadoptingbroadlyapplicable solutionstoentericmethaneemissions
TheOpportunity
TheProgram
TheSparkLivestockEntericMethaneMitigationProgramacceleratesprogress towardreducingmethaneemissionsfromlivestock’sdigestivesystemsbyproviding strategicsupportandleadershipacrossthefieldtoaccelerateitsgrowthandimpact. Theprogramcoordinatespolicyefforts,supportsinnovation,andisworkingto developthevaluechainwhileworkingtoadvancetheoverallfield. Today
warming from ongoing emissions
3 GT 9 GT CO₂e annual emissions measured on 100-year impact average (GWP 100)
9 GT 22.5 GT
₂e annual emissions measured on 20-year impact average (GWP 20)
Fromlow-methanevaccinestobreedingfornaturallylower-methaneanimals, innovatorsaroundtheglobearestartingtodevelopnewcategoriesofsolutionsto addressthischallenge,withmoreideastobeexploredthathaven’tyetbeen resourced.Methaneisawasteproductofruminantlivestock’sdigestiveprocess,and someofthesesolutionsholdthepotentialtoalsoincreaseanimalproductivity Discoveringandscalingsolutionsinthiscategorycouldhelptoavoidtheotherwise upto9GTCO₂e/yr(225GTCO₂/yrGWP20)ofemissionscurrentlyprojectedin2100
Updates from 2024
In the first full year of the Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation Program, the team made significant progress in building distributed field and institutional capacity to support growth across innovation, policy, and market-making while pulling new partners into the field. This included launching an industry association, and substantial work is underway to launch an advance market commitment and policy coalition in 2025. While all designed to enable long-term progress, these efforts are already leading to early results, including bipartisan, bicameral introduction of legislation to support expanded research capacity, with support from a coalition of partner advocacy organizations, producers, and industry groups.
AdvancingandGrowing PolicyEfforts
In2024,Sparklaidthegroundworkfor establishingtheU.S.NationalLivestock MethanePolicyCoalitiontobuildcapacityand workdirectlywithproducerstodeveloptractable policy.ThoughtheUnitedStatesisthelargest beefproducerintheworldandiswell-positioned todriveinnovationofgloballyapplicableenteric methanesolutions,itlacksacomprehensive
innovation and mitigation strategy, and public research investment has been minimal. There’s also been limited advocacy capacity within NGOs to engage on these issues. The Coalition connects NGOs with producer groups to design policies that will both work on farms and enable the growth of broader political support. Having already partnered with a group of
SupportingtheInnovation Ecosystem
Thedevelopmentofhighlyeffectivesolutions thatworkacrossthespectrumoffarmand animalmanagementpracticesisatoppriorityfor thefield.
Thisyear,betweenadvocacy,advising,and directengagement,Sparkhashelpedguide morethan$45Minresearchandinvestment fundingfrompublicandprivatesourcesfor
foundingorganizationsandraisedseedfunding toengageapublicaffairsfirmtoexpand, formalize,andmanagetheCoalition,theformal workiskickingoffin2025 WhileweworktolaunchtheLivestockEnteric PolicyCoalition,ourrecommendations, partnershipswithotherorganizations,and collaborationwithindustrygroupshavehelped topropelthebipartisanintroductionoftheEMIT LESSAct.ThisisthefirstU.S.federalbill targetedatentericmethane,whichaimsto expandresearchcapacityatfederalinstitutions andcreateincentivemechanismsforthe adoptionofentericmethanesolutionsonfarms
fundamentalandpasturebasedentericmethane mitigationresearchand development
TheSparkteamalsocame upwithanovelmitigation approach,andfundedproofof-conceptresearchatthe UniversityofSaskatchewan Givenpromisingearly results,thisprojecthas attractedexternal philanthropicfundingto supportanimaltrialsin2025.
In2024,SparkpartneredcloselywiththeGlobal MethaneHub’sEntericFermentationAccelerator (EFA)torapidlyscaleR&Dinvestmentsin globallyrelevantsolutions.Servingas coordinatoroftheEFA’sscienceoversight committee,CharlesBrooke,wholeadsour LivestockEntericMethaneMitigationProgram, workedcloselywiththecommitteetopublishits firstprogramstrategyin2024.Spark’s involvementwiththelargestglobalfunding streamdevotedtothisfieldhashelpedtofurther pushtheprioritizationofapproachesthatwill haveworldwideapplicabilityacrossmanagement systems.
Charles Brooke (Spark’s Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation Program Lead, left) at the Spark-organized State of the Science Summit at UC Davis with other speakers and collaborators.
DevelopingtheValueChain
In2024,Sparkcatalyzedtheincubationofan advancemarketcommitment(AMC)forthe entericmethanemitigationspace,nowin partnershipwithTheNatureConservancy,the UniversityofChicago’sMarketShaping Accelerator,andtheGlobalMethaneHub. Developingmarketdemandforsolutionsinthis fieldiscrucialtoincentivizeR&D,investment,and deployment.AMCsareastructurethathasbeen successfulinotherfields,includingglobalhealth andcarbonremoval,to“pullforward”demand andmakeevidentthedesireforsolutionsbefore theyareonthemarket.Thelivestockenteric methaneAMCistargetedtolaunchin2025, specificallyfocusingonstimulatinginnovation applicabletoextensivesystemsandthoseinlowandmiddle-incomecontextstomaximize emissionsreductionpotentialglobally.
GrowingandCoordinatingtheField SparkisworkingtocreatethefirstGlobal EntericMethaneIndustryAssociation(GEMIA) withover25foundingmembersasthenumber oforganizationsengagedinentericmethane mitigation—whichincludessolutionproviders, producers,consumerpackagedgoods companies,andprojectdevelopers—grows.In 2025,SparkwillspinGEMIAoutasan independententitytobuildthecollectivevoiceof thisgrowingsector,supportingpolicy-and market-makingefforts.
Sparkco-organizestheonlyannualconference dedicatedtoentericmethaneemissionswithUC DavisandtheCaliforniaDepartmentofFoodand Agriculture,gatheringover300researchers, producers,nonprofits,governmentofficials,and startupstoalignonthecurrentstateofthefield andchallenges.Thefieldofentericmethane mitigationishighlyinterdisciplinaryand geographicallydistributed,withcoordinationand collaborationbeingcritical.HeldinMayatUC Davis,the2024StateoftheScienceSummit servedasavitalconnectionpointfora historicallydisparatefieldandcoveredareas fromgovernmentactiontoresearchtoproducer adoption.The2025StateoftheScienceSummit willbeheldMay19-21attheUniversityof California,Davis.
Sparkhasworkedcloselywiththelivestock methaneteamattheCleanAirTaskForce (CATF)andseed-fundedalow-methane breedingprojectatCATFthatwillsupport evaluationandpolicydevelopmentoflowmethanecattlebreedingtechnology.Theproject aimstoquantifypotentialmethaneemissions reductionsandeconomicimpactsthrough researchandworkshops,layingthefoundation forfutureinvestmentandadoption.Additionally, itseekstoadvancepolicyeffortsbyeducating policymakers,engagingfederalagencies,and developingfinancialandregulatoryincentivesto acceleratetheadoptionofthistechnologyinthe beefanddairyindustry.
For the Global Methane Hub, it’s so important to be able to count on partners like Spark Climate Solutions. It’s a luxury to be working with an organization with such a rare mix of science and policy experience, coupled with the real world pragmatism required to shift the livestock sector towards the low emissions future we need.
— Hayden Montgomery, Program Director for Agriculture, Global Methane Hub
By the numbers:
cattle globally emitting methane that need to be addressed 1.5B
300
participants from 10+ countries gathered at the May 2024 State of the Science Summit to share insights across the field, including representatives from 30+ academic and government institutions, and dozens of independent companies, investors, farmers, and ranchers.
30
founding members of the Global Enteric Methane Industry Association (GEMIA) now actively engaged in collaboratively driving forward the sector as a whole
years — the average wait time to conduct animal trials at leading institutions 2+
8
years — the average regulatory process timeline for interventions classified as drugs
Expert panel at the Spark co-hosted State of the Science Summit at UC Davis in May 2024
Methane Removal
Can we develop safe, scalable methods to break down methane in the atmosphere, reducing climate damages and feedback risks?
TheChallenge
Methanealreadydrivesaboutathird(0.5°C)ofhuman-causedwarmingandcontinuesto accumulaterapidlyintheatmosphere.Whilereducinghuman-drivenmethaneemissions fromfossilfuels,agriculture,andwasteisessential,naturalsystems—suchaswetlands andpermafrostthaw—areexpectedtoreleasesignificantlymoremethanethiscenturydue toclimatechange,withnoknownwaytoaddresstheseemissions.Methaneremovalcould provideapowerfulsetofapproaches,inadditiontoemissionsreductions,toreduce warmingandmitigatetheriskofmethane-drivenwarmingfeedbackloops.
TheOpportunity
Naturalprocesseseffectivelybreakdownandremovemethanefromtheatmosphere–this iswhytheaveragelifetimeofmethaneintheatmosphere(11years)ismuchlessthanthat ofCO₂(centuries).Enhancingormimickingthesenaturalremovalprocessestoincrease methanebreakdownbyevenafewpercentcouldreducewarmingandserveasavitaltool foraddressingmethaneemissionsthatcurrentlylackmitigationsolutions.
TheProgram
Spark’sMethaneRemovalProgramacceleratesthescientificexplorationofpotential methaneremovalapproacheswhilesupportingtheadvancementofrelatedpolicy, governance,andfield-building.Sparkisexpandingthescientificfield,engagingfederal agencies,advocatingforpublicresearchfunding,andmore.
Methane Removal Program Update
In 2024, Spark’s Methane Removal Program accelerated research in this emerging field by funding 14 new projects through our Atmospheric Methane Research Fund. Through this initiative, we have strengthened the scientific community, advocated for increased public investment, and advanced awareness of the field’s importance. As a result, in 2024 the methane removal field saw significant growth in scientific interest and active research. Spark’s leadership on methane removal research was validated by the October 2024 release of a National Academies’ study on methane removal, which recommends $50-80 million in annual research funding.
Developing a Robust, Independent Research Community
In2024,throughourAtmosphericMethane ResearchFund,welaunchedtwoopencallsfor proposals,whichreceivedmorethan100 applications.Thefundawarded$3.9millionin grantstoresearchersacross14newprojectsin 2024,bringingtotalmethaneremoval-related researchfundingthroughSparktodateto$7M across23projects.Thisrepresentstremendous growthforthefield.Theseresearchprojects evaluateanddevelopmultiplemitigation approaches,furtherourscientificunderstanding ofcurrentmethanebreakdowndynamics,and explorenewmeasurementtools.The demonstratedscientificinterestinthisarea continuestogrowmarkedly,supportedbyour field-buildingefforts.
Sparklaidthefoundationthroughearly educationeffortstosupportfederalfundingby engagingcongressionalofficesandfederal agencies,includingNSF,DOE,NOAA,andNASA.
Animmediateresultofthiseffortwasthe additionof$10MtotheFY25Senate appropriationsbillforU.S.DepartmentofEnergy researchintomethaneremoval(pending congressionalapproval).We’reengagingovera dozenotherNGOsaspotentialpartnersaswe continuethisadvocacywork.Oneoftheresearch projectswefundedinearly2024waslater awardedfollow-onfundingfromNSF. Inadditiontofundingresearch,Sparkis supportingthedevelopmentofavibrant researchcommunitythroughconference sessions,webinars,workshops,regular newsletters,education,andoutreach.In November,weco-hostedaworkshopon biologicalapproachestomethaneremovalwith theHomeworldCollective,andinDecember chairedsessionsattheannualAmerican GeophysicalUnion(AGU)annualmeetingin Washington,DC.Wealsopreparedaworkshop co-hostedwiththeStanfordDoerrSchoolof Sustainability,whichwasheldinJanuary2025. We’veworkedonengagingthebroaderscientific
communitythroughother conferencesandeventsin 2024,includingtheClimate EngineeringGordon ResearchConference,the InternationalGlobal AtmosphericChemistry Conference,theOcean VisionsArcticSeaIce workshop,andNewYork ClimateWeek
Participants at the workshop on biological approaches to methane removal, co-hosted with Homeworld Collective.
AdvancingLegalandGovernanceFrameworks
Sparkiscollaboratingwithpeerclimatefield-buildingorganizationstoapplybestpracticesinmethane removalresearch,drawingfromtheirlessonslearnedregardinggovernance,socialacceptance,and implementation.Ifprovenviable,methaneremovalwouldrequiresupportfromawidearrayof stakeholders.Experiencewithotherclimateinterventionsshowsthatevenearly-stageresearchbenefits fromafocusedcommunityengagementeffort,sowearedevelopingawell-informedengagementplan. Wearealsoco-fundingandcloselypartneringwithColumbiaUniversity’sSabinCenterforClimateChange Lawtoanalyzelegalframeworksrelevanttodifferentmethaneremovalapproaches,withpapers publishedin2024onatmosphericoxidationenhancementandsoilamendments
Spark Climate Solutions has played a central role in growing the nascent area of atmospheric methane removal over the last few years, including engaging with scientists in adjacent areas. Their collaborative approach has created space for curious scientists from a range of backgrounds to start working on the research questions recently highlighted by the National Academies report and set the stage for taking forward the report's recommendations.
— Dr. Gabrielle Dreyfus, Chief Scientist, Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development and the committee chair for the National Academies’ Atmospheric Methane Removal study
By the numbers:
$50-80M/yr
in recommended research funding from the National Academies’ study on Atmospheric Methane Removal
23
principal investigator researchers funded by Spark through 2024 to do research related to methane breakdown pathways, measurement, and possible methane removal approaches
>200
participants in Spark-hosted or co-hosted methane removal workshops and other events in 2024
~0.06-0.2°C
increase from elevated methane emissions of wetland & inland waters and thawing permafrost expected by 2100 in a low (SSP 1-2.6) to moderate (SSP 24.5) emission scenario, which is not yet included in modeled IPCC scenarios
Atmospheric Methane Research Fund
A dedicated research regranting fund, raised and managed by Spark, to advance scientific understanding of existing methane breakdown pathways and potential atmospheric methane removal approaches.
In 2024, the first operational year of the fund:
2
>100
Research Proposals Received Awards
14 Open Calls for Proposals
The two “Exploratory Grants for Atmospheric Methane Research” call for proposals received an overwhelmingly positive response from scientists around the globe. After a competitive process, the funded research projects are exploring: Various potential methane removal approaches, including: Catalytic and bio-based reactor systems
Engineering plants to break down methane
Enhancing methane-consuming bacteria living on trees
Iron dust oxidizing atmospheric methane
New measurement approaches to improve scientists’ ability to study methane breakdown pathways and monitor changes
Key science questions around methane breakdown dynamics
Together, this represents the largest investment into methaneremoval-focused research to date, and dramatically expands the scientific community focused on this problem. This research will move the field one step closer to understanding what methane removal approaches may be feasible, safe, and high-impact.
$3.9M
Funds Granted (incl. future installments)
Atmospheric Methane Research Fund Oversight Committee
Professor of Physics, University of Sao Paulo
Sabine Fuss Professor Sustainable Resource Management & Global Change, Humboldt University of Berlin
Paulo Artaxo
Greg Huey Chair & Professor, Atmospheric Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology
Ruth Varner Professor, Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire
Airborne and ship-based field measurement campaigns to advance scientific understanding of atmospheric chemistry impacting methane lifetime.
Atmospheric Methane Research Fund
2024 Research Awards
Exploring new potential methane removal approaches
TestingLimitstoMethanotrophyonTreeStems
Characterizingthecontributionofmethanotrophson treesurfacestotheglobalmethanebudgetand investigatingpotentialenhancementapproaches
VincentGauci,JamesMcDonald,andYinChen (UniversityofBirmingham)
OptimizingtheActivityofAtmosphericMethane OxidizingBacteria(Atmmob)inSolid-Phase Bioreactors
Assessmentofmethodstoimprovetheeffectivenessof bacteriainbioreactors
LisaStein(UniversityofAlberta)
AtmosphericMethaneRemovalUsing GeneticallyEngineeredPlants
Researchenablingplantstoremovemethanefromthe atmosphereviageneticengineering
EliHornstein(ElysiaCreativeBiology)
Rapid Assessment Methods for Catalysis of Atmospheric Methane
Assessment of the efficiency of a wide range of potential methane-oxidizing catalysts
Adam Boies (Stanford University)
Advancing scientific understanding of the iron salt aerosol methane removal method, and related climate science
ConstrainingtheSizeDistribution&Chlorine ProductionofFerricChlorideAerosolsfor QuantitativeAtmosphericMethaneRemoval Researchquantifyingtheefficiencyofferricchloride aerosolsinoxidizingmethane
MingyiWang(UniversityofChicago)
QuantifyingMethaneRemovalbyClandOH fromCOIsotopeMeasurements
Observationalstudytoquantifyatmosphericoxidation ofmethaneatregionalandglobalscales
ThomasRöckmann
CHLOROXEAPR:ChlorineOxidationExperiment, Atlantic,PuertoRico
AcontinuationofthepreviouslyawardedCHLOROXEA iron-saltaerosolaircraftfieldmeasurement
JohnMak(StonyBrookUniversity)
ChlorineEnhancementbyMineralDust&its EffectonMethane:ANaturalExperimentatthe CapeVerdeObservatory
Observationalstudyquantifyingtheeffectofmineral dustonmethaneoxidation
LucyCarpenter(UniversityofYork)
CHLOROXEA:ChlorineOxidationExperiment, Atlantic
ResearchtoadvanceunderstandingofthenaturallyoccurringironsaltaerosolmechanismintheNorth Atlanticthroughaircraftfieldmeasurement
JohnMak(StonyBrookUniversity)
tiphaseReactiveHalogen Evolution:CAPRAM-SPARKModelDevelopment &ApplicationtoFieldObservations
Improvingourabilitytomodelreactiveatmospheric halogens
HartmutHerrmann(LeibnizInstituteforTropospheric Research)
Advancing scientific understanding and measurability of methane sinks
MarkerSpecies&AerosolFormationfrom Chlorine-InitiatedOxidationintheRemote
Atmosphere
Assessmentofpotentialchlorinated-VOCmarker speciesforstudyingatmosphericoxidationprocesses
JesseKroll(MIT)
MethaneLossRateSensitivitytoEmissions, ClimateChange&Variability,&Key Uncertainties
Researchassessingtheimpactsofclimatechangeand changestoanthropogenicemissionsonthehydroxyl radicalsink
ArleneFiore(MIT)
AbInitioCalculationofKineticIsotopeEffects (Kie)forReactionofCH₄withOH,Cl,&O(¹d)–ImprovingtheConstraintsNeededtoMonitor AtmosphericCH₄Sinks
Researchtobetterconstrainthefingerprintsofdifferent atmosphericmethanesinks
JamesFarquhar(UniversityofMaryland)
SatelliteQUantificationofEnvironmEntal oXidation(SQUEEX)
Assessmentoftheviabilityofdetectingmethane oxidationfromsatellites
JosdeLaat(RoyalNetherlandsMeteorological Institute)
Program Seeds
Transformational Agricultural Nitrogen Management Solutions
Can we dramatically decrease nitrogen pollution from agriculture?
The Challenge
Nitrous oxide (N₂O), sometimes called “the forgotten greenhouse gas,” is both a powerful and a long-lived climate pollutant. Agriculture is the biggest source of N₂O emissions; those emissions are currently 1.6 Gt CO₂e annually and growing—a major impediment to net zero goals. Nitrogen is critical to agriculture and food security, but nitrogen use efficiency in the food production system (including both crops and animal products) is low–roughly 15%. As a result, significant amounts of nitrogen are lost to our water, atmosphere, and environment, causing harmful algal blooms, contaminating drinking water, warming the planet, and depleting stratospheric ozone.
The Opportunity
Spark is leading an effort to find ways to dramatically increase nitrogen use efficiency without harming food security, leveraging new opportunities in plant genetics, novel sources of nitrogen for animal feed, and system circularity. Next-generation nitrogen management in agriculture would dramatically and durably lower nitrogen losses to the environment, including nitrous oxide emissions.
ProgressonPrioritiesin2024
Spark convened ~30 interdisciplinary experts in April to develop a vision of a more targeted, efficient, and circular system for nitrogen management in agriculture; this would enable deep reductions in nitrous oxide (N while reducing local environmental harms and meeting growing demands for nutritious food production. This vision, known as “ has since been explored in a variety of settings, including at the UNEP Climate and Clean Air Coalition Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment, New York Climate Week, and 2024's American Geophysical Union conference, all with resounding scientific support. A future Spark program in this area would advance research, producer engagement, policy and advocacy, areas to accelerate and evaluate the realization of this vision.
On N₂O more broadly, Spark helped to spur forward the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Global N₂O Assessment, for which Spark’s Principal Scientist Eric Davidson led a chapter that
Eric Davidson (Spark Principal Scientist, Transformational Agricultural Nitrogen Management, right) presenting on Nitrogen 2.0 at the Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment prerelease launch event at New York Climate Week.
Warming-induced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Can we improve our understanding of emissions from natural systems that are driven by climate change—and use that knowledge to inform decisions and drive action?
The
Challenge
As the planet warms, natural systems like wetlands, thawing permafrost, and forests are beginning to release more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Scientists warned of this decades ago, and now it is becoming a reality. This feedback loop—where warming increases greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn accelerates warming—risks becoming a self-reinforcing cycle that would be extremely difficult to control. Yet, little has been done to quantify these emissions, develop strategies to manage them, or elevate this issue among policymakers.
The Opportunity
Better characterization of this threat is urgently needed to inform societal responses. Spark is focused on assessing and identifying scientific gaps, convening experts working on different pieces of the problem, identifying policy actions to take, and identifying which warming-induced greenhouse gas emissions could potentially be directly remediated.
ProgressonPrioritiesin2024
Warming-induced emissions of greenhouse gases add to human emissions and amplify climate change. If this effect is large, the societal harm would be enormous. Despite the massive potential stakes, scientific efforts to quantify this risk are still small and poorly funded, with even less effort going into developing potential measures to manage these risks. While we build a strategy for long-term field support, Spark continues short-term actions to build the field. Spark continues to host scientific gatherings, cultivate potential philanthropic funders, and engage with government funders in the U.S. and internationally. Our proposal to the
Aspen Global Change Institute for a workshop on natural methane monitoring was accepted and is slated to be held later in 2025. We convened and chaired the “Methane Emission Feedbacks from Natural Systems” session at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting, and have been highly engaged with programs that could support the growth of this field, including the new UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) “Scoping our Planet” Program, the US Greenhouse Gas Measurement, Monitoring, and Information System, and NASA PANGEA.
Spurring Action on Short-lived Climate Pollutants
and
Climate Response
Within each of our focus areas, and across short-lived climate pollutants and climate responses more broadly, our team continues to use its expertise to drive forward understanding, action, and collaboration.
Erika Reinhardt (Spark Executive Director, left) and Eric Davidson (Spark Principal Scientist, Transformational Agricultural Nitrogen Management, right) at the White House Super Pollutant Summit.
Dr. Maggie Masello (Spark Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation Scientist, in green on left) is actively working with X-PRIZE to inform their development process for a prize regarding sustainable livestock agriculture, highlighting the need and opportunity to reduce enteric methane from grazing livestock.
Charles Brooke (Spark Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation Program Lead) was invited to speak at the New Zealand Agriculture and Climate Change Conference. He presented on the international investment landscape for agricultural greenhouse gas solutions and the need to align investment to our greatest challenges including, enteric methane from extensive management systems.
Spark-hosted happy hour during the week of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) annual meeting in Washington, DC, bringing together scientists, policymakers, and climate advocates.
Our Team
In October, we were thrilled to have Dr. Phil Duffy join us as Spark’s first Chief Scientist. Phil is a climate scientist and decades-long champion for—and leader in—climate action, which he’s done most recently in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Biden administration White House and as President and Executive Director of Woodwell Climate Research Center.
The climate moment demands the urgent development and adoption of new solutions. The political moment demands that this be driven from outside of government. Spark is perfectly designed to meet the moment, and I could not be happier to have joined the team.
- Dr. Phil Duffy, Spark Chief Scientist
Magdalena Masello, DV M , Ph D Scientist, Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation
Eric Davidson, Ph D Principal Scientist, Agricultural Nitrogen Mgmt
Ryan Price US Policy Manager
Charles Brooke Program Lead, Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation
Erika Reinhardt Executive Director, CoFounder
Barrett Olafson Project Manager, Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation
David Mann, Ph D Head of Strategy, Co-Founder Phil Duffy, Ph D Chief Scientist
Jasmine Woods Operations Analyst
Sam Abernethy, Ph D Scientist, Atmospheric Methane Research
Laura Adams Chief of Staff
Katrine Gorham Ph D Program Manager, Atmospheric Methane Research
Paige Brocidiacono (Brown) Project Manager, Atmospheric Methane Research
Danielle Potocek, Ph D Natural Systems Scientist
Atmospheric Methane Research Fund
Looking ahead to 2025
The need for Spark’s focus areas has never been greater. We’re proud of the work we’ve done to date to build capacity in these fields, positioning them for further growth.
2025 will be a pivotal year for our programs. We will launch new initiatives in the livestock sector, continue mobilizing the scientific community to tackle key open questions on methane removal, and build on our early work to advance scientific and policy strategies for warming-induced emissions. At the same time, we will push forward a vision for a lower-nitrogen pollution future—helping to protect water, habitats, and the climate.
A huge thank you to our funders, whose support makes all of this work possible. These fields—and others like them—must continue to scale and accelerate to help build a pathway to a safer climate future. In this critical climate moment, collectively we must do everything we can to expand our capacity to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. With your partnership, we’re proud to be part of this effort.
Erika Reinhardt Executive Director, Co-Founder
David Mann Head of Strategy, Co-Founder
Phil Duffy Chief Scientist
