Research that reaches
the room where it matters.
We translate peer-reviewed climate science into the policy language that legislators, grant officers, and municipal directors actually use — from the watershed to the committee room.
The science existed.
The language didn't.
Catalyst was born from a specific failure — a climate bill that died in committee not because the science was disputed, but because no one had done the translation work. We exist to close that gap, one brief at a time.
The bill that didn't make it.
The Great Lakes Clean Energy Compact cleared peer review in March. By June, it was gutted in markup — not because the science was wrong, but because no one had translated it into language the subcommittee could defend. Three researchers who watched it die decided that was the last time.
First municipal partnership.
Minneapolis sustainability director Keisha Holloway reached out after reading our first policy translation brief. Together, we drafted language for the city's 2030 carbon ordinance. It passed 11–2.
Federal testimony — cited on the record.
Our brief on methane accounting methodology was cited three times during Senate Environment Committee hearings. For the first time, the science made it into the record verbatim.
The network reaches 100 municipalities.
From Portland to Providence, sustainability offices began using our Rapid Evidence Protocol — a 72-hour turnaround service for staffers who need defensible data before a Thursday vote.
230+ partners. 14 state-level policies shaped.
The work has grown into a living infrastructure — field researchers, policy translators, and municipal partners in constant conversation. The campfire got bigger, but it's still the same fire.
The science was solid. The committee markup didn't know it existed.
Dr. Tanya Morales
Co-founder, Catalyst Institute
The work, in numbers
and in faces.
Every card below represents a real output — a brief that reached a staffer, a policy that passed, a director who had the evidence she needed by Thursday.
state-level policies shaped since 2018
From Colorado's methane rule to Virginia's offshore wind permitting framework — our briefs have left fingerprints on legislation in 14 states.
federal briefs cited in committee testimony
Our methane accounting methodology was entered into the Senate record verbatim in 2020 — the first time our work appeared in official testimony.
Catalyst gave us language we could actually defend on the floor. Not talking points — evidence with citations. That's rare.
Marcus Chen
Legislative Director, Oregon Senate Environment Committee
municipal sustainability offices in our network
From Providence to Phoenix, sustainability directors have access to our Rapid Evidence Protocol — defensible data within 72 hours of a request.
What we deliver
- Rapid Evidence Briefs — 72-hour turnaround
- Legislative language translation
- Grant-ready impact documentation
- Annual policy landscape reports
- Stakeholder testimony support
in grant decisions informed by our research
Program officers at 18 foundations have used our annual landscape report to align grant portfolios with the most evidence-backed interventions.
The Rapid Evidence Protocol changed how our office works. We used to spend two weeks finding sources. Now we have a defensible brief in 72 hours.
Priya Subramaniam
Director of Sustainability, City of Denver
One relationship
at a time.
The Catalyst network spans 230+ municipalities, 18 foundation partners, and researchers in 34 states. It grew the same way a campfire does — one person at a time, each bringing their own wood.
Municipal Partners
States Active
Foundation Partners
Trusted by organizations including
Seven years of work.
Read it in 20 minutes.
The 2024 Impact Brief documents every policy shaped, every brief cited, and every relationship built. It's 28 pages of specific outcomes — the kind of evidence that earns a seat at the table.
- 14 state-level policy outcomes with citation trails
- The 72-hour Evidence Protocol - how it works
- Case study: Denver's net-zero ordinance
- Network map and partner directory
Free to download · No account required · 28 pages
Policy Briefs
180+ published
Committee Citations
3 federal, 22 state
Active Partnerships
230+ municipalities
Response Time
72 hours guaranteed