Global Impact Portfolio
Our Work
The 2041 Foundation works within the following three key impact categories:
Youth Development
School Engagement
The 2041 team has engaged with hundreds of schools around the world, empowering millions of young people from countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, United States, Argentina, India, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Sweden, Norway, France, China, and New Zealand. Through ongoing educational outreach, our team has made the story of sustainability and the preservation of our planet relevant and engaging for younger minds.
Financial Aid
Over the years the foundation had provided the support needed for hundreds of young, aspiring environmentalists to experience climate hot spots across the globe including Antarctica & Mount Kilimanjaro. Learn more below under “Expeditions”.
Community Outreach
Lectures & Talks
Over the last 40 years, Robert Swan has traveled to over 160 countries, visiting businesses, governments, and communities to teach them about the impacts of climate change. Swan has spoken in front of a wide range of audiences including leading organizations such as the World Economic Forum, United Nations, BNP Paribas, Unit 4, Corporate Eco Forum, and many more. In addition to educating on sustainability and inspiring audiences about the future of our planet, Swan provides insight on leadership, innovation, overcoming challenges, team building, and corporate social responsibility. Robert has continued to engage with audiences across the globe via digital platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education Bases
The 2041 Foundation has established E-Bases (Education Bases) in Antarctica, India, the United States, and other regions around the world. The 2041 E-Bases are multi-purpose facilities supporting both education and local citizens. Each base aims to spread awareness on conservation and sustainability practices and educate on the issue of climate change. The E-Bases are self-sustaining accommodations and are run solely on renewable energy.
In March 2008, powered entirely on renewable energy, Robert Swan and a small team lived and sent broadcasts from the Antarctic E-Base via the internet for two weeks. Sharing the story with students and teachers globally, it was the first time in history that a team had attempted to survive in Antarctica relying solely on renewable energy. Their mission was successful, and the team departed the continent after the allotted two weeks in good health. Existing bases continue to operate, supporting teachers to educate future generations on sustainability and environmental protection.
Expeditions
Inspire Antarctic Expeditions
From 1997, we have conducted over 30 expeditions to both Antarctica and the Arctic region with the aim to train the next generation of environmental leaders on climate change and sustainability. With over 4,000 participants from 90 countries, our Climate Champions have become heads of businesses, government, and communities as environmental leaders to protect our planet.
The South Pole Energy Challenge
In November 2017, Robert Swan and his son Barney Swan undertook an expedition to the South Pole called the South Pole Energy Challenge (SPEC). They set out to ski a 600-mile journey surviving solely on renewable energy, a first in polar exploration. Carrying everything on their sledges, they used NASA-designed solar ice melters, biofuels made from waste, lithium batteries, and passive solar flasks for survival. Additionally, they arranged the planting of tens of thousands of trees across the planet to make the logistics and operations of the expedition carbon negative.
The Last 300
Robert returned in 2019 for an expedition titled ‘The Last 300’. Utilizing a mix of advanced biofuels as their energy source and gear made from recycled materials, Robert and his team put these innovative technologies and ground-breaking sustainable methods to the ultimate test whilst raising awareness of the importance of preserving this pristine landscape.
In January 2022, Robert will return to Antarctica to complete the last 40 miles– accomplishing his 34 year long goal of crossing the entire Antarctic continent on foot.
Where You Can Help
Get involved with our mission by reading about the initiatives below.
2041 ClimateForce: Antarctica Expeditions
Each year, the 2041 Foundation, through it’s youth development remit will provide educational scholarships and support to young sustainability across the globe to join on the 2041 ClimateForce Antarctica Expeditions. This journey equips them with actionable solutions to become a part of a global force for change. We support promising leaders of any background, covering the cost of their mission, and spread the education of climate champions worldwide. By contributing to our scholarship program, you are actively helping to create the leaders we need for our planet’s future.
The ClimateForce Challenge
We are proud to partner with ClimateForce on the ClimateForce Challenge, an initiative launched in 2017 with the aim to directly reduce 360 million tons of CO2 before the year 2025. We are working together to offset the carbon footprint of our regular missions to Antarctica and educating future leaders in sustainability and environmental protection.
ClimateForce is also currently focused on regenerating 450 acres of World Heritage land in the Daintree Forest, Australia. With your donation, you can help us support ClimateForce to provide the tools required for accelerated sustainability development to businesses, communities and students, and achieve the mission to regenerate a significant area of the world’s oldest rainforest.
Carbon Sequestration
In partnership with Climeworks, the 2041 Foundation supports revolutionary carbon capture technology which removes CO2 from the atmosphere and turns it into a solid form. As their first client, we assisted their efforts to directly remove CO2 permanently from the atmosphere and sequester it back into the earth. Additionally, in 2019, alongside Opus 12 they created the first sunglasses made from CO2 which were tested at the South Pole in 2020.
Your donation assists our work with Climeworks to test the technologies we need for greater sustainability efforts worldwide, making steps towards reducing the financial incentive to damage the pristine Antarctic landscape. By creating and testing sustainable tools and technologies, we work to secure the future of Antarctica against the need for resource exploitation, while reducing the harm already created through increased CO2 production.
Tree Planting Projects
Tree planting forms an essential part of how we offset our carbon footprint on each and every mission. We partner with Jane Goodall’s Global Youth Program Roots and Shoots on a series of tree plantings each year in Tanzania. We have also funded the planting of 10,000 trees in Sierra Leone through Miro Forestry to decarbonize the 2041 Foundation’s logistics and operations.
Your Support Makes all the Difference
With your help, we can continue our efforts to foster the climate leaders of the future, spread education on sustainability, and maintain the Earth’s most important natural environments for generations to come. Every donation takes us one step closer to preserving the pristine Antarctic continent, securing it for the future, beyond the year 2041.Â
Previous Supporters
We are proud to receive financial support from individual donors as well as companies from across the globe.
