Our Story

EDF Climate Corps was founded in 2008 with the goal of catalyzing investment in energy efficiency. Based on its initial success, EDF expanded its focus to encourage organizations to develop holistic, strategic energy management plans which include clean energy, alongside scaled-up efficiency efforts. In addition to the important projects developed through the summer fellowship, EDF Climate Corps has also developed an active network of sustainability professionals. To date, the program’s network includes over 1000 current and future energy leaders in 40 states and 28 countries around the world.

  • 2008

    EDF Climate Corps pilot launches with 7 fellows, uncovering $35 million in potential energy savings for host organizations. EDF decides to scale up the program.
  • 2009

    Building on the success of the pilot, EDF Climate Corps trains and embeds 27 fellows in 24 private companies and considers expanding the program into the public sector.
  • 2010

    Making the lead, EDF Climate Corps engages host organizations in the public and private sector. Its first-ever solutions-sharing event offers insights on the organizational barriers to energy efficiency, seen in both sectors.
  • 2011

    With continued momentum, EDF Climate Corps continues to grow, deploying 96 fellows. The network now has several hundred members and the program reaches the $1 billion mark in identified energy savings.
  • 2012

    In response to a growing need for support beyond energy efficiency, EDF Climate Corps expands its work scope to include clean energy strategy, data analysis and financial modeling initiatives.
  • 2013

    The 100+ fellow milestone mark is hit, with 116 fellows sent to 113 host organizations. Fellows accelerate a broad range of energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives.
  • 2014

    EDF Climate Corps expands internationally, placing 6 fellows at organizations in China. The annual EDF Climate Corps Fellowship Awards are created to recognize fellows who complete outstanding work.
  • 2015

    117 fellows are deployed in the US and China. The network surpasses 1,000 members and is increasingly active. EDF Climate Corps amplifies its scalable solutions through case studies, conferences and network events.
  • 2016

    125 fellows are deployed, 9 of which were recruited directly from Chinese universities, embedded in multinational companies in China. EDF Climate Corps releases its first ever trend report, Scaling Success.
  • 2017

    108 fellows are deployed, 12 of which are placed in multinational companies in China. The EDF Climate Corps Connect platform for the network is introduced. EDF Climate Corps releases its first-ever jobs report, Now Hiring: the growth of America's clean energy and sustainability jobs.