Hess Corporation has announced a five-year, $50 million gift in support of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies’ Harnessing Plants Initiative (HPI), which aims to combat climate change by developing plants’ natural ability to capture and store potentially billions of tons of carbon per year from the atmosphere. 

The gift will support creation of the Hess Center for Plant Science at the Salk Institute as well as faculty recruitment and laboratory and research operations. In 2020, Hess provided $12.5 million in support of HPI and awarded an additional $3 million in 2021 to endow the Hess Chair in Plant Science at Salk.

“The Harnessing Plant Initiative is a potential gamechanger in tackling the global challenge of climate change,” said Hess CEO John Hess. “We are honored to support this innovative research led by HPI leaders Joanne Chory and Wolfgang Busch. We believe this groundbreaking work will implement scientific breakthroughs on a global scale and can make a major contribution toward achieving the world’s ambition to reach net zero emissions.”

“We are extremely grateful to Hess Corporation for funding these critical areas of need for not only the institute, but for the future of plant science research. This gift comes at the ideal time, with climate change being one of the most significant and urgent issues facing the health of humanity and our planet,” said Salk president and professor Rusty Gage. “Their forward-thinking generosity will pay dividends for future generations to come.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/lovely day 12)