New Japan Climate Fund launches solar sharing grant programme

A new Japan Climate Fund, established by the Public Resource Foundation, launches its first agrivoltaics initiative for local farming communities. 

The ‘Solar Sharing Grant Program: Connecting Agriculture and the Future‘ opens its public call for applications until 19 August 2026. The first round supports organisations that work with local farming communities to advance agrivoltaics.

The fund intends to grow through collaboration, with an initial base of ¥20 million (approx. US$130,000) from Tara Climate Foundation, an Asia-based philanthropic foundation working to accelerate the region’s clean energy transition. Over time, it aims to welcome further philanthropic partners and expand collaborative climate philanthropy.

‘The best climate solutions in Asia are the ones that work for the people closest to them,’ says Junichi Sato, Programme director, East Asia, at Tara Climate Foundation. ‘Together with the Public Resource Foundation, we hope the fund will provide catalytic support for the Japanese organisations and communities leading this effort.’

The Public Resource Foundation was launched in 2013 and dedicates itself to connecting resources to social initiatives through philanthropy. The foundation develops a wide range of giving programmes, including thematic funds, customised funds, and legacy giving initiatives.

Supporting local farmers through renewable energy

Agrivoltaics, or solar sharing, is the practice of using the same land for both solar energy and agriculture. As farming communities across Japan feel the effects of climate change on their yields, solar sharing offers a community-led solution designed around the needs and knowledge of the farmers themselves.

The Japan Climate Fund invests in the skills, outreach, and local partnerships needed to develop these projects. To be eligible for funding, an initiative must improve the climate resilience of farmers and their local communities, and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the wider use of renewable energy.

‘Farming communities are close to the realities of climate change, and they hold much of the knowledge needed to address it,’ says Sachiko Kishimoto, Co-founder and Chief operating officer, Public Resource Foundation. ‘With the Japan Climate Fund, we hope to back more solutions that come from the ground up — where supporting farmers and their communities also opens the door to clean energy. There’s real potential in agrivoltaics when it’s designed around farmers’ needs, and that’s where we’re starting.’

Individuals and organisations interested in contributing to the fund are encouraged to get in touch.

Molly Wilson is the editorial and communications assistant at Alliance magazine