Atmospheric Impact Initiative
A common unit for climate impact.
We translate climate action into a common unit of impact, so decision-makers can compare climate solutions.
The problem
Not all tons are created equal.
Climate solutions are multiplying fast, and decision-makers lack a consistent way to compare them. Protecting a forest, capturing methane, and removing carbon dioxide from the air can each be counted as one ton of emissions avoided or removed, yet each delivers a different amount of climate impact, for a different length of time, with different certainty. The same gap shows up wherever climate choices are made, from carbon markets to corporate decarbonization to public policy.
What we do
A consistent way to compare climate solutions.
The Atmospheric Impact Framework (AIF) assesses climate solutions on the atmospheric impact they are expected to deliver, translating fundamentally different solutions into one common unit.
What we’re building
A common unit
One scale on which different projects can be compared, from avoided methane to direct air capture, expressed as a single comparable number.
An open method
We will share our methods, parameters, and assumptions openly, so the number can be examined, challenged, and improved.
A research program
A proposed long-term scientific effort to check the combined impact of climate projects against what is ultimately observed in the atmosphere. The findings would improve the framework over time.
Work with us.
Partner with us for a clearer view of what your climate choices deliver, or review the technical details of the methodology and provide expert feedback to inform future updates.