ARC International Services Climate Initiative
In 2022, American Red Cross International Services Department (ISD) launched their ambitious Climate Initiative, a multi-year operation focused on assisting the most vulnerable communities within the Red Cross Red Crescent network that are facing significant risks from extreme weather and climate-related disaster impacts.
The Red Cross is committed to tackling the Climate Crisis, and as part of their international efforts, the Climate Initiative seeks to support vulnerable communities in over a dozen National Societies (NS) in developing and/or scaling up their climate action. As of 2025, the American Red Cross has supported 16 National Societies in their journey to reduce their overall vulnerability to climate disaster and climate change impacts.
Why This Matters
How We Work
Background
The ISD Climate Initiative aims to support the collective Red Cross Red Crescent efforts to tackle the impacts of a changing climate. It is part of an American Red Cross overall one-billion-dollar Climate Initiative that will run for its first phase between 2022 and 2027. ISD’s international component of the Climate Initiative aligns with ISD’s Strategy 2023, the IFRC's Strategy 2030, its 2021-2025 Plan and Budget, the IFRC’s Global Climate Resilience Platform, and the IFRC Youth Commission's 2021-2025 Climate Strategy. The International Climate Initiative is also aligned with the 2021-2025 Strategy from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and relies on the Centre’s technical expertise for achieving impact.
The Climate Initiative was developed between December 2019 and June 2022. The domestic component of this initiative began implementation in March 2022, and the international component was phased in starting July 2022.
Over the course of this five-year period, ISD will support climate action in a over a dozen countries through a mix of bilateral and multilateral engagements. It is also anticipated that funds will be raised for international climate action through a mixture philanthropic giving, episodic disaster fundraising, US Government grants and private donor support.
Where We Work
The countries in which ISD partners are categorized as priority and climate countries, denoting the type of work completed within the American Red Cross partnerships:
Key Focus Areas
Urban Resilience
Supporting cities in adapting to rising climate risks, particularly extreme heat and coastal threats.
Anticipatory Action (AA)
Helping National Societies institutionalize AA to reduce the impact of climate shocks.
What We Do
To support over a dozen National Societies in their efforts to combat the worst impacts of climate change, there are several actions ISD has initiated in the first two years of the program, including but not limited to:
Partners
