By Thais Lopez Vogel, VoLo Foundation
At VoLo Foundation, our work in 2026 begins with a clear goal: empower action rooted in science, powered by education and measured by real-world impact. As the new year kicks off, that mission feels more urgent than ever.
Climate challenges are not abstract. They are personal. They affect our health, our communities, our economy and the future our children will inherit. We see it in extreme heat, flooding, rising insurance costs and growing public health risks.
These impacts are already here, and they demand a response that moves faster, goes deeper and remains grounded in truth.
In 2026, we will focus on what we do best. We will educate people, so they understand what is at stake. We will elevate leaders who are willing to act. And we will support solutions that can be implemented, not just discussed.
There is no future without environmental education. And there is no meaningful impact without results we can measure. Our strategy is anchored in two flagship platforms reflecting who we are and how we work.
Florida is not a hypothetical case study. It is the front line of the climate crisis, and that reality is at the heart of Florida Climate Week.
Across the state, environmental stressors are already shaping daily life. Heat, flooding, housing pressure, insurance instability and public health challenges are present realities, not distant threats. Florida Climate Week brings communities, policymakers, scientists, businesses and nonprofits together to move from awareness to implementation.
This platform allows us to address real risks facing Floridians, elevate Florida-based leaders and solutions, and turn conversations into pilot projects, policies, and partnerships. Florida Climate Week is a practical tool for change in one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world.
Climate Correction is where we take a broader view.
As our national and global platform, Climate Correction focuses on sharing science-based solutions that work, connecting leaders across sectors and challenging complacency and misinformation. It helps shape the broader narrative around climate action by keeping the focus on evidence, responsibility, and results. Our theme for 2026 is “Nature Powered Solutions.”
Together, these platforms tell a complete story. Climate Correction sets the narrative. Florida Climate Week shows how that narrative becomes action. Education leads to leadership, and leadership leads to action.
Guiding this work are six strategic priorities for 2026. We will support climate action that can scale. We will treat education as nonnegotiable. We will invest in leadership, especially voices too often excluded from decision-making. We will address climate as a health issue. We will build partnerships that multiply impact. And we will measure success by outcomes, not attendance.
This strategy is not about doing more for the sake of doing more. It is about doing what matters, with clarity and purpose. In 2026, VoLo Foundation will continue to stand at the intersection of science, education and action, with resolve equal to the challenges ahead.
Thais Lopez Vogel is the cofounder and trustee of VoLo Foundation, a private family organization that exists to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education and improving health. VoLo Foundation is a financial supporter of The Invading Sea. This piece was originally published at https://volofoundation.org/news/action-not-abstractions/. Banner photo: Thais Lopez Vogel addresses a group (Photo courtesy of VoLo Foundation).
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