May 21, 2026
A message from Dr. Ife Kilimanjaro, USCAN Executive Director:
It is with a deep sense of loss, yet profound gratitude, that I share the news that Rafe Pomerance passed away on May 21, at the age of 79.
As a visionary co-founder and the very first board member of the US Climate Action Network, Rafe planted the seeds for what our network is today. Over the decades, USCAN has grown, shifted, and evolved through various stages of development. Yet, through every transition, one truth remains: we are here because of the bold vision Rafe inspired and his early, unwavering commitment to doing something about the climate crisis.
Long before climate change entered mainstream public discourse, Rafe was working to bring it to light. In the late 1970s, during his time as an environmental lobbyist, he discovered a government report detailing the severe planetary dangers of fossil fuel emissions. Recognizing the immense stakes of this invisible threat, he immediately dedicated himself to ensuring policymakers and the public understood the crisis ahead.
Rafe excelled at practical, strategic advocacy. He didn’t just argue that action was necessary; he actively mapped out how to achieve it. In the 1980s, he successfully orchestrated the very first congressional hearings dedicated to global warming. Later, during the Clinton administration, he stepped into public service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, playing a pivotal role in brokering the landmark 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the international community's first binding agreement to mandate emission reductions.
Even when confronting fierce political headwinds and pushback from fossil fuel interests, Rafe’s determination never faltered. He went on to establish the Climate Policy Center, spearhead campaigns to protect the fragile Arctic ecosystem, and lead multiple major environmental organizations. He continually found innovative ways to communicate the crisis, translating abstract temperature changes into tangible realities like sea-level rise to capture political attention.
Rafe’s impact was not just felt in the halls of Congress or at United Nations summits; it was deeply felt by the peers he walked alongside. Another of USCAN's co-founders, Alden Meyer, who served as our second board chair after Rafe and continues to serve on our board today, shared this reflection on Rafe’s profound influence:
"I knew Rafe from my first days in Washington... It was on a drive up to Rhode Island to campaign for Sen. John Chafee's reelection in 1986 that Rafe convinced me that climate change was the overriding environmental challenge of our time; he changed my career trajectory... His humanity, humility, and quiet but fierce advocacy shone through in every one of those collaborations. Rafe was a mentor, friend, and ally for almost five decades."
Though our strategic focus at USCAN has adapted to meet changing times, the foundation of our collective movement rests on his legacy of persistent, practical action.
We send our deepest, most compassionate condolences to his wife, Lenore, his children, and his grandchildren. We are eternally grateful for his impact. Let us honor Rafe's memory by continuing the essential work he so bravely began.
