Research Methodology

For over a decade, Prime has mobilized philanthropic capital into a powerful tool for urgently needed climate solutions. As Prime expands its strategy to better support best-in-class catalytic climate investments, we are taking a systemic approach to bridging capital gaps around the world. 

Systems research is the foundation upon which we design and implement our programs. We seek to orchestrate financial capital suitable for a portfolio of interventions that can trigger mutually reinforcing ripple effects for a climate-resilient future. 

Our process for building a systemic investment program is structured around three core phases.

Photo: Tandem PV, supported by Prime & Trellis Climate

Systems Research

Table of Contents

Phase 1: Prioritize

Phase 2: Understand

Phase 3: Act

Hotspot Research

Phase 1

Prioritize

Our team collects data and analyzes a set of systemic boundaries spanning all climate-relevant sectors and continent-scale geographies. We narrow our scope to a prioritized short list of climate action hotspots—a specific climate-relevant sector within a continent-scale geography—where we see high mitigation potential and high risk from a changing climate.

    1. Buildings

    2. Energy

    3. Food & Agriculture

    4. Freshwater 

    5. Materials & Industry

    6. Land & Forests

    7. Oceans

    8. Transport

    1. Africa

    2. Australia & New Zealand

    3. East Asia

    4. Eastern Europe & West Central Asia

    5. Latin America & the Caribbean

    6. Middle East

    7. North America

    8. South & Southeast Asia

    9. Western Europe

Phase 2

Understand

Through partnership with backbone organizations and engagement with the investment ecosystem, our team conducts deep research on a short-listed hotspot from multiple cross-functional perspectives. 

We assess the needs for system transformation, capital gaps, market strategies, philanthropic appetite, and operational feasibility for Prime’s intervention.

Phase 3

Act

Building on the research and partnerships created in Phase 2, Prime executes programming in an active hotspot. 

As a capital orchestrator, we work to align financial resources and bridge the identified capital gaps. We deploy catalytic capital into best-in-class investment opportunities in order to crowd in mainstream investors, and we share our learnings with others in order to coordinate capital flows for systemic impact.

Hotspot Research

Learn more about Prime’s systems research and catalytic investing strategy.

Latin America & Caribbean Land & Forest Systems

Latin America & Caribbean Land & Forest Systems

South & Southeast Asia Land & Forest Systems - Coming Soon

South & Southeast Asia Land & Forest Systems - Coming Soon