Breakthrough Institute

The Breakthrough Institute is a global research center that identifies and promotes technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges.

We believe that human prosperity and an ecologically vibrant planet are possible at the same time. Societies are already experiencing peak use of many natural resources; some previously destroyed forests are returning as we use less land to farm more food; our energy sources are becoming denser and cleaner; and pollution — including carbon emissions — is falling in most post-industrial nations.

We believe that ecological vibrancy results from human prosperity, not the other way around. Meeting people’s material needs is both an ethical imperative and a pre-condition for societal concern about nature. Technological innovation, particularly in energy and agriculture, can enable us to both meet human needs and reduce our reliance on natural resources. And clean energy technologies are key to creating a high-energy planet without overheating the climate.