Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC): Grantee Spotlight (Q3 2026)

The Giving Green Fund is awarding a restricted grant to Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) for its work to reduce heavy industry and shipping emissions. SFOC is a research and advocacy organization founded in South Korea that works to align policy, business, and finance activities with international climate targets. 

SFOC’s work falls within our philanthropic strategies of reducing shipping emissions, decarbonizing iron and steel, decarbonizing ammonia, and supporting cross-cutting enablers for industrial decarbonization (as discussed in our Industry sector report). Please see Giving Green’s strategy and sector reports for more information, including risks and potential co-benefits, recommended sub-strategies, theory of change, funding need, and key uncertainties.

Last updated: October 2026

What Is Solutions for Our Climate?

SFOC was established in 2016 in South Korea to advocate for governments and corporations to take evidence-based climate action with an initial focus on decarbonizing the power sector. It has grown rapidly and now works to drive reductions across South Korea’s largest sources of emissions, including industry, transport, and land use change. SFOC’s core activities include technical research, policy advocacy, private-sector engagement, litigation, and community organizing. Through frequent collaborations with broadcast and print media, SFOC also serves as a thought leader on climate action in South Korea. It is expanding its international presence through multilateral convenings and regional teams in Japan and Thailand.

What Are We Funding, And How Could It Help Address Climate Change?

Heavy industry accounts for around one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and Asia is the largest manufacturing region in the world. East Asia also accounts for over 80% of global shipbuilding. For both sectors, we think technological progress and an enabling policy environment are needed to incentivize manufacturers to shift to low-carbon production methods. We are providing a restricted grant that can be used flexibly across SFOC’s industry and shipping programs:

Steel: SFOC’s steel program advocates for the Japanese and Korean governments, as well as steel producers and consumers, to accelerate steel carbon neutrality. Its policy work blends government advocacy and education. Key policy targets include raising the ambition of government steel transition strategies and carbon pricing mechanisms, securing financing for low-carbon technologies, and strengthening industry-specific Nationally Determined Contributions in line with the Paris Agreement. Its producer advocacy campaigns oppose the relining and continued operation of coal-based blast furnaces and challenge corporate greenwashing claims. Its consumer work encourages steel-consuming industries, like the auto industry, to set green procurement commitments that help build early demand for green steel.

High-temperature heat: SFOC launched its petrochemicals program in 2024. Its scoping found that electrifying naphtha cracking centers (NCCs), which account for  around 70% of petrochemical emissions, was a key leverage point. It plans to continue engaging with the policy stakeholders to support incentives for NCC electrification, and amplify a shared industry and civil society call for electrification.

Shipping: SFOC’s shipping program uses advocacy to create an enabling environment for green shipping fuels, infrastructure, and vessels. In addition to its engagement with the International Maritime Organization, SFOC also advocates directly to national governments of several Asian shipping economies, such as Korea and Japan, to encourage the development of green policy frameworks, such as net-zero strategies and green fuel subsidies. It is also working to establish a green shipping corridor between the EU and Korea.

Why Do We Think Solutions For Our Climate Will Use This Funding Well?

We have been impressed by SFOC’s climate advocacy leadership and its strong track record. In the power sector, SFOC started a coalition of organizations that campaigned for South Korea’s commitment to end overseas coal finance, which was followed by similar commitments in Japan and China. SFOC also participated in campaigns to prevent the construction of 3,700 megawatts of new coal power plants and to expedite the retirement of 8,000 megawatts of coal power plants. 

We think philanthropic funding for industrial decarbonization is especially neglected in Asia, and we are therefore excited to support SFOC’s efforts in the field. SFOC’s steel program successes include government advocacy that contributed to the approval of around $230 million USD of government funding for green steel technology, and successful litigation against the greenwashing claims of South Korea’s largest steel company. SFOC also successfully elevated NCC electrification in national dialogues about the petrochemical sector – with the discussion leading to the inclusion of electrification in Korea’s Special Act on Petrochemicals and as one of Korea’s core technologies in its Korean Green Transformation (K-GX) policy framework for industrial decarbonization. In shipping, SFOC’s campaign increased stakeholder knowledge and interest in maritime decarbonization, gaining momentum that culminated in public questioning at the Korean National Assembly, which highlighted the need to transition public funding from liquefied natural gas to renewable fuels, and the passage of the world’s first Green Shipping Corridor bill. 

We publish grant spotlights to offer transparency to Giving Green Fund donors and resources for those interested in the impact strategies each grant supports. Giving Green believes our Top Climate Nonprofits have the greatest impact potential for large, unrestricted gifts. For several reasons, we also disburse and recommend grants to other organizations surfaced through our research process for work that we believe is at least as impactful as grants to our top recommendations. 

This is a non-partisan analysis (study or research) and is provided for educational purposes.

Solutions for Our Climate is a registered nonprofit in South Korea.

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