Climate Finance
Features
Catalytic Capital | October 21, 2021
$100 billion is just a down payment on financing the climate transition in developing nations
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 21 – For want of a nail…the kingdom was lost, as the old proverb goes. For want of $100 billion, a …
Catalytic Capital | October 20, 2021
Deploying catalytic capital to bridge financing gaps for climate action
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 20 – Climate finance is on a roll. Climate finance is stuck. Both statements are true. Investors have poured record sums …
Personal Finance | October 19, 2021
How to ride the climate transition with more than a dozen exchange-traded funds
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 19 – Clean energy. Batteries. Smart grids. ESG funds and clean energy ETFs tracking elements of the climate transition took off in …
The Reconstruction | October 15, 2021
Call No. 32: Black tech, green solutions for the planet and the people (video)
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 15 – Invest in climate action for the planet – and the people. “Climate change is a public health issue, it’s a …
Climate Finance | October 14, 2021
Yawning ‘ambition gap’ threatens global climate summit
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 14 – The International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook is full of stark warnings just 18 days before a make-or-break global …
Kenyan farmer | Photo credit: Jen Watson
Catalytic Capital | October 13, 2021
Researchers ready a dozen-plus deep dives into the complexities of catalytic capital
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 13 – Aceli Africa provides a first-loss cushion of up to 8% to lenders as a way to spur them to back …
General Motors's Mary Barra addresses investors on Wednesday at the GM Tech Center in Warren, Michigan. (Photo: Steve Fecht for General Motors)
Corporate Impact | October 7, 2021
The EV race is on as GM and Ford move to overtake Tesla
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 7 – GM will double its revenues by 2030 as it rolls out dozens of electric cars, trucks and delivery cars …
Photo credit: Elemental Excelerator
The Reconstruction | September 30, 2021
Elemental Excelerator’s climate-tech unicorns develop locally, deploy solutions globally
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 30 – Dawn Lippert wanted to help flip Hawaii green and wean it from dependence on fossil fuels. But the cleantech solutions …
Signals | September 29, 2021
Investors push companies to set science-based targets and obey the “carbon law”
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 29 – Global financial institutions holding nearly $30 trillion in assets are pushing Boeing, Alaska Air, Fedex, Duke Energy, Tata Steel …
Climate Finance | September 23, 2021
The sky-high value of cutting methane emissions is attracting policymakers – and investors
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 23 – Carbon dioxide has gotten most of the attention in the fight against climate change. But it is another compound, …
Climate Finance | September 22, 2021
China pledges to end (foreign) coal financing
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 22 – With less than six weeks until the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, global leaders are stirring to (modest) action. …
Climate Finance | September 21, 2021
On climate action, private investors urge governments to jump in (the water is warming)
ImpactAlpha. Sept. 21 – Many government leaders are being coy about their climate ambitions. Private funders are stepping up theirs. “My message here …
Photo credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger.
Climate Finance | September 21, 2021
‘Forest resilience bonds’ show an ounce of prevention can slow wildfires – and provide 4% returns
ImpactAlpha, September 21 — In a corner of the Tahoe National Forest in California that has escaped this year’s devastating wildfires, crews have …
An ad for Climate Week NYC in Brooklyn
Climate Finance | September 20, 2021
It’s Climate Week in New York as global leaders convene to bridge ‘the ambition gap.
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 20 – Climate Week NYC kicks off today with hundreds of sessions meant to showcase climate solutions – and spur action …
Conservation | September 14, 2021
Move over SPACs. Here come NACs to turn ecosystem services into tradable assets
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 14 – The New York Stock Exchange is seeking approval for a new kind of publicly traded asset based on the …
Photo credit: Oye Rickshaw
SDGs | September 9, 2021
Investors rally behind India’s early, active climate tech scene
ImpactAlpha, September 9 – India’s recognition of its vulnerability to climate change has spurred a set of ambitious targets to curb carbon emissions …
Climate Finance | September 8, 2021
Scaling nature investments to meet investor demand
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 8 – Conservation funds from Apple and L’Oréal launched in the last year will invest hundreds of millions in land and water …
photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images
Climate Finance | September 1, 2021
Outages in Louisiana make resilience the watchword as electricity grids are rebuilt
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 1 – When Entergy Louisiana was looking to replace an aging power plant a few years ago, local citizen groups urged …
Capitalism Reimagined | August 26, 2021
UK’s Nick Hurd on the “window of opportunity” for a green and inclusive transition
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 26 – Nick Hurd, the former MP and government minister, is heading the Impact Taskforce, created under the U.K.’s presidency of the …
Climate Finance | August 25, 2021
Is your fund serious about climate? Show me your scientists.
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 25 – Money is pouring into climate tech funds. Separating the serious players from fund managers only toying around the edges …
Five Cardinals Farm in Plainview, Va.
Signals | August 25, 2021
Steward revamps its ‘crowdfarming’ model with short term loans for sustainable farms
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 25 – Sustainable farmers are on the front lines of the fight to mitigate climate change. Yet agriculture funding is geared …
Climate Finance | August 12, 2021
Business leaders rally to U.S. infrastructure bill to mobilize capital for climate solutions
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 13 – Even before it is passed, the U.S. infrastructure bill is mobilizing private sector capital for climate solutions. Bill Gates’ …
Climate and Clean Tech | August 11, 2021
Infrastructure investments promise to move U.S. from climate pledges to progress
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 11 – Finally, it really is Infrastructure Week. The Senate’s passage of the $1 trillion package to shore up the nation’s …
Climate and Clean Tech | August 9, 2021
The climate catastrophe is nigh, and so are eight key climate solutions
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 9 – Southern Europe and the American west are burning. Northern Europe and central China have been ravaged by floods. And …
Signals | July 29, 2021
Green bonds or greenwashing? Growth of aquaculture poses risks for ocean health.
ImpactAlpha, July 29 – Mowi ASA, the Norwegian fish farming giant, raised €200 million from investors last year in what was the seafood industry’s …
Climate Finance | July 21, 2021
Breakthrough Energy planning “blended finance” fund to marshal billions for next-gen climate tech
ImpactAlpha, July 21 – The billionaire-backed Breakthrough Energy is preparing a blended finance fund to catalyze billions of dollars of investment to scale …
Innovative Finance | July 15, 2021
Sustainability-linked debt is giving more companies incentives to do the right things
ImpactAlpha, July 15 – Greece’s largest power utility put itself on the hook to reduce its carbon emissions with its €500 million ($591 million) …
Climate Finance | July 15, 2021
Carbon markets are set to expand in Europe and China
ImpactAlpha, July 15 – Prices on Europe’s carbon trading system jumped almost 5%, to €55, after the European Commission laid out plans to …
Impact Tech | July 14, 2021
Two dozen charts map the trajectory of sustainable finance, food, energy and mobility
ImpactAlpha, July 14 – San Francisco and London-based Generation Investment Management, the $36 billion investment firm founded by Al Gore and David Blood, has for …
photo: G20
Catalytic Capital | July 13, 2021
From COVID to climate, G20 countries look to catalyze capital for urgent action
ImpactAlpha, July 13 – The global effort on COVID vaccines does not bode well for the massive mobilization needed to avert climate catastrophe. …
Climate Finance | July 8, 2021
Bridging the funding gap for climate mitigation and adaptation in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, July 8 – Record-shattering heat and extreme weather are upping the urgency for climate action. On the front lines of climate disruption …
Agrifood Tech | July 7, 2021
Amid record heat, Equilibrium Capital raises $1 billion for second greenhouse fund
ImpactAlpha, July 7, 2021 – The heat wave made the case more starkly than could any investment pitch deck. In their offices in Portland, …
Climate and Clean Tech | July 6, 2021
Long coming but slow to arrive, fusion energy approaches a milestone on path to commercial deployment
In an old brick garage on an industrial street in Cambridge. Mass., a team of physicists and engineers are getting ready this month …
Jocotenango, Guatemala | Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash
Smallholder Agriculture | July 1, 2021
Impact investors step up to the migration challenge in Central America
ImpactAlpha, July 1 – The confluence in Central America of extreme weather events, gang violence, corruption, and poverty – exacerbated by COVID – is …
2030 Finance | June 24, 2021
What we know about Rockefeller Foundation’s grand ambitions for distributed energy
ImpactAlpha, June 24 – The Rockefeller and IKEA Foundations this week jointly announced a commitment of $1 billion for off-grid energy development in …
Stewardship | June 23, 2021
Engine No. 1’s VOTE ETF aims to wield shareholder power for E, S and G
ImpactAlpha, June 23 – Divest or engage? In the running debate over public-equities impact strategies, engagement is gaining ground. In the proxy season …
Signals | June 16, 2021
Wanted: safe, simple, scalable investments to drive capital to climate solutions
ImpactAlpha, June 17 – Fifteen years after An Inconvenient Truth alerted audiences to the climate crisis, the world is even closer to the …
Impact Management | June 8, 2021
Tallying the financial risks of biodiversity loss
ImpactAlpha, June 8 – Mandatory climate reporting is coming, as companies and governments coalesce around the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure. Just …
Photo credit: Ecobodaa
Originals | June 3, 2021
Shift to electric rickshaws and motorcycles is drawing investors to emerging markets’ e-mobility opportunity
ImpactAlpha, June 3 – The streets of Delhi, Kigali, Nairobi and other cities across the developing world are clogged with traffic, including “boda boda” …
Andy Karsner | Photo credit: The Arctic Circle/YouTube
Signals | June 3, 2021
A third insurgent joins Exxon’s board
ImpactAlpha, June 3 – ExxonMobil chairman and CEO Darren Woods will face even more restive directors. The oil company said preliminary results showed Andy …
Stewardship | May 27, 2021
Victory for insurgents stuns Exxon as shareholders vote for a low-carbon future
ImpactAlpha, May 27 – In a single day, separate developments at ExxonMobil, Chevron and Shell sent an unmistakable signal to oil companies and investors: …
Exxon CEO Darren Woods | Photo credit: McDermid/Reuters/Newscom
Stewardship | May 26, 2021
Shareholders notch historic climate wins against Big Oil
ImpactAlpha, May 26 – Big Oil is taking a big climate beating from shareholders and in the courts today. A Dutch court ordered Royal …
Climate Finance | May 26, 2021
Exxon’s shareholder drama is only beginning of the endgame for oil giant
ImpactAlpha, May 26 – It’s showtime. ExxonMobil faces restive investors today in a test for CEO Darren Woods and his strategy for the …
Soil Heroes
Regeneration | May 20, 2021
Five ways family offices can unlock capital for regenerative agriculture
The investment momentum into regenerative agriculture is undeniable. In 2018, there was $49 million of investment capital going to companies in the space. …
Climate Finance | May 19, 2021
The world’s premier energy forecaster gets real
ImpactAlpha, May 19 – Reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 will take nothing short of a “transformation of how energy is produced, transported and …
Stewardship | May 18, 2021
Shareholders flex their muscles as the drama builds toward votes at ExxonMobil
ImpactAlpha, May 18 – Slowly and then all of a sudden, shareholders have management on the run in a series of proxy votes …
Climate Finance | May 18, 2021
Bitcoin’s energy consumption has crypto investors seeking green alternatives
ImpactAlpha, May 18 – Elon Musk sent the cryptocurrency world reeling last week when he backpedaled on Tesla’s offer to accept Bitcoin as payment …
Signals | May 6, 2021
Conservation of mangrove forests could get a boost from carbon credits
ImpactAlpha, May 6 – Farmers in Iowa and Illinois are getting $20 a ton for sequestering soil carbon. Tropical forests can collect $10 a …
Increase in global CO2 emissions
Climate Finance | April 28, 2021
That feeling when investors realize carbon is going to $100 a ton sooner than they expected
ImpactAlpha, April 28 – Carbon hasn’t attracted as much attention as GameStop or Bitcoin, but the price of a ton of CO2 topped …
Climate Finance | April 26, 2021
LEAF Coalition will pay for success in protecting tropical forests
ImpactAlpha, April, 26 – A global coalition of governments and corporations will pool funds to keep tropical forests intact. The Lowering Emissions by …
Image credit: Maurens, Dordogne/France
Clean Energy | April 22, 2021
2030 is the new 2050 as countries and companies compete on climate ambitions
ImpactAlpha, April 22 – Call it The Great Acceleration. Goals for cutting carbon emissions that seemed ambitious when the Paris Agreement was forged …
Photo credit: Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge
SDGs | April 22, 2021
Fifteen startups with solutions for land restoration in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, April 22 – Latin America a testing ground for innovative environmental financing and business solutions: Lending incentives supporting smallholder farmers; partnerships with Indigenous …
Signals | April 19, 2021
Overheard at the Island Finance Forum: Caribbean’s inclusive recovery
ImpactAlpha, April 19 — Volcanic eruptions in the Caribbean that have caused residents of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to flee their homes …
Figs on the tree
Climate Finance | April 16, 2021
Banks up their green finance ambitions
ImpactAlpha, April 16 – JPMorgan Chase and Citi – the biggest bankrollers of fossil fuels – unveiled new trillion-plus targets for sustainable financing …
Solar panels against a blue sky with a picture of the flag of Brazil
Climate Finance | April 12, 2021
Changing the climate for climate investments in emerging markets
ImpactAlpha, April 12 – Energy-transition investment surged by 24% in developed nations last year. In emerging markets strained by the COVID pandemic, it …
Climate Finance | April 1, 2021
Stewardship challenge: How to press fundamental change at ExxonMobil?
ImpactAlpha, April 1 – Some climate-focused investors say they have dumped shares of ExxonMobil as they purge fossil fuel companies from their portfolios. …
Edisun Microgrids | Photo: Business Wire
Green Infrastructure | March 31, 2021
Transformation of electricity grids shows this isn’t your grandparents’ infrastructure upgrade
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 31 – The giant infrastructure investment plan to be unveiled by U.S. President Joe Biden today is expected to include as …
Climate Finance | March 25, 2021
With climate goals looming, gap grows between fossil fuel leaders and laggards
ImpactAlpha, March 25 – European oil and gas majors are leaving their North American counterparts behind. Total, Galp Energia, Equinor, BP and Royal …
Photo credit: ACRE Africa
Innovative Finance | March 22, 2021
Alt-credit and mobile-money apps give African fintechs a closeup view of climate risks – and opportunities
ImpactAlpha, March 22 – Financial technology firms have leveraged billions of data points across mobile phones and social media to transform loan underwriting across …
Climate Finance | March 10, 2021
Six financial innovations for a sustainable recovery in Africa, Asia and Latin America
ImpactAlpha, March 10 – Voluntary and mandatory carbon markets are starting to drive sustainable investments around the world. Energy Peace Partners’ Peace Renewable …
Jigar Shah | Photo credit: Miljøstiftelsen ZERO/Flickr
Clean Energy | March 4, 2021
Generate’s Jigar Shah tapped to rev up the Department of Energy’s loan office
ImpactAlpha, March 4 – The lending program, mostly moribund for the past four years, “is back in business,” declared Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. …
Climate Finance | March 4, 2021
Greening sovereign debt to tackle converging crises
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 4 – A majority of low-income countries may need to restructure their loans or seek fresh ones in a brewing sovereign …
Water | March 3, 2021
Net-zero means water, too, for corporations serious about climate risk
ImpactAlpha, March 3 – Investors and customers are pushing food, apparel, energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and mining companies to address water security along with …
Photo credit: Kuli Kuli
Call Recording | March 1, 2021
Call No. 27: Opportunities at the intersection of gender and climate
ImpactAlpha, March 1 – Capital is flowing to climate solutions. Climate bonds have topped $1 trillion. SPACs, or special purpose acquisition companies are …
Green Infrastructure | February 24, 2021
Postal Service misses an opportunity to modernize fleet with electric vehicles
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 24 – A contract to upgrade the U.S. postal agency’s 165,000 delivery trucks runs counter to the Biden administration’s effort to …
Climate Finance | February 18, 2021
Building a smart and resilient grid moves up the to-do list after Texas power failures
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 18 – The claim that frozen wind turbines caused Texas’ harrowing power outages turned out to be all hat, no cattle. …
Climate Finance | February 17, 2021
Farmers harvest ‘soil carbon’ to meet rising corporate demand for emission offsets
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 17 – Candidates in last year’s U.S. Senate race in Iowa were asked in a televised debate to cite the clearing …
WIC Capital portfolio company E-Cover, which recycles used tires
Gender Smart | February 9, 2021
Mapping the climate edge for gender investors – and vice versa
ImpactAlpha, February 9 – A women-led, women-backed investment fund in Dakar, Senegal is getting an environmental bonus from the women entrepreneurs it supports. A …
Conservation | February 4, 2021
Biodiversity is the new climate change
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 4 – Nature is an asset – and we are failing as asset managers. That was the stark message of a …
Climework's 'Orca' carbon cature plant in Iceland is expected to begin operating later this year.
Climate Finance | February 2, 2021
Microsoft emerges as a major customer for captured carbon
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 2 – The software giant paid an average of $20 per ton for up 1.3 million metric tons of carbon removal …
Policy Corner | January 28, 2021
Say it again: climate action means job creation
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 28 – President Biden marked his first week in office with 30 executive orders aimed at tackling the climate emergency. “Today …
Climate Finance | January 27, 2021
Larry Fink’s corporate net-zero mandate pushes carbon markets mainstream
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 27 – Think all those corporate 2050 net-zero pledges are nothing but hot air? The price of carbon credits in voluntary …
Climate Finance | January 26, 2021
Accelerating climate emergency spurs innovative financing for adaptation
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 26 – Investments aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions have long overshadowed financing for efforts to help communities adapt to climate …
Frontier and Growth Markets | January 25, 2021
Digitization of smallholder farming draws investors to Indian agtech startups
ImpactAlpha, January 25 – Among the world’s largest producers of food, India stands out for its 130 million independent smallholder farmers who till, on …
Oceans | January 21, 2021
U.S. buyers test sustainability strategies at Peter Pan Seafood
New buyers aim to turn around an iconic Alaska salmon processor that was a money-loser for its former Japanese owner. Alaska-based McKinley Capital …
Policy Corner | January 21, 2021
And that was just Day One of Biden’s climate agenda
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 21 – It was the executive order heard ‘round the world. “Welcome back to the Paris Agreement!” tweeted French president Emmanuel …
Room full of flying books
Corporate Impact | January 19, 2021
New books on the new rules for a new era of business
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 19 – From the COVID pandemic and climate change to the racial justice uprising and assaults on democracy, the tumultuous events …
Climate Finance | January 5, 2021
What if they threw an Arctic oil auction and no one came?
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 5 – The Trump administration tomorrow will unseal bids for drilling rights on more than a million acres of pristine land …
Climate Finance | January 4, 2021
The surprising climate carveouts in the U.S. spending package
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 4 – President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to ramp up the U.S. response to climate change. The massive spending and stimulus …
Climate Finance | December 17, 2020
Looking Ahead: With alarm bells ringing, investors step up for dramatic climate action in 2021 – or else
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 17 – The COVID pandemic was just a warm-up for the coming catastrophe: climate change. As wrenching as was this year’s …
2030 Finance | December 17, 2020
ZeroAvia clinches $37.7 million to speed zero-carbon air travel
ImpactAlpha, December 17 – The aviation industry has become more fuel efficient in recent years, but global demand for air travel (pre-pandemic) put …
Policy Corner | December 14, 2020
Bumper crop of green policy proposals await Biden administration
Tis the season … for climate policy frameworks. President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin the Paris climate agreement on Day One and …
Climate and Clean Tech | December 14, 2020
Zola Electric scores $8 million partnership for solar mini-grids in Africa
Investment and spending on energy access in sub-Saharan Africa and other emerging markets screeched to a halt at the outset of the COVID-19 …
Climate Finance | December 3, 2020
Financing for climate action is not catching up to the climate emergency
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 3 – The pace of climate change is accelerating: new records were set in 2020 for land and sea temperatures, Arctic …
2030 Finance | November 12, 2020
Expected U.S. reset on climate action is a green light for allies and investors
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 12 – The 30th storm in a record-breaking hurricane season formed in the Caribbean. The U.S. Federal Reserve recognized climate change …
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris | Photo credit: Christos S
Climate Finance | November 11, 2020
Agents of Impact on transition tailwinds for climate action, racial justice and local economic revival
ImpactAlpha invited Agents of Impact to share their “hot takes” and post-election insights into the new operating environment.
Policy Corner | November 10, 2020
How far will the pendulum of ESG guidance swing back in a Biden administration?
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 10 – Investors poured nearly $50 billion into ESG-focused exchange-traded funds in just two days last week as the U.S. election …
2030 Finance | November 5, 2020
U.S. voters, local leaders and investors to Paris climate agreement: We’ll be back
ImpactAlpha. Nov. 5 – Voters want climate action. So do investors. Joe Biden has a $2 trillion plan to put it in motion. …
Policy Corner | November 2, 2020
Investor protests fail to stop Trump administration rule squelching ESG investing
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 2 – It’s final – at least until it’s reversed. The U.S. Department of Labor finalized an unpopular rule aimed at …
2030 Finance | November 2, 2020
Iroquois Valley Farmland Trust raises $2 million to accelerate shift to organic
ImpactAlpha, November 2 – Iroquois Valley Farmland Trust encourages farmers to shift to organic practices with access to capital, mortgages and long-term land …
Clean Energy | October 27, 2020
Economics trump politics as the smart money bets big on clean electrification
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 27 – Joe Biden need not be defensive about his accidentally honest statement at last week’s debate, “I would transition from …
Financial Inclusion | October 22, 2020
Investments in financial inclusion and agriculture deliver impact
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 22 – ImpactAlpha has covered hundreds of investments aiming to drive access to finance and more sustainable agriculture. Two reports from …
Inclusive Economy | October 22, 2020
SOCAP takes stock of impact investing in a changed world
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 22 – The different mood at this week’s impact investing gathering reflected not just the contrast between an online event and …
Features | October 19, 2020
Call No. 24: Agents of Impact converge on financing solutions to ‘light every clinic’
The people and principles needed to solve the challenges of financing solar power for frontline health clinics were represented on ImpactAlpha’s Agents of …
2030 Finance | October 16, 2020
Let’s plot an energy scenario ambitious enough for the climate emergency
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 16 – The International Energy Agency’s annual ‘gold standard’ World Energy Outlook, used by policymakers, investors and business leaders, was published …
Clean Energy | October 15, 2020
Investors see a ‘blue wave’ of growth opportunities in sustainability and inclusion
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 15 – “Pro-business” really does have a new meaning. Just a few weeks ago, U.S. investors were said to be fretting about …
Clean Energy | October 13, 2020
Four scenarios for the energy transition in the age of COVID
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 14 – The COVID pandemic “has caused more disruption to the energy sector than any other event in recent history,” opens …
Climate Finance | October 12, 2020
Aristata Capital looks for social benefits and lawsuit payouts with impact litigation fund
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 12 – It was only a matter of time before someone put an impact spin on litigation funds, which in recent …
Climate Finance | October 7, 2020
Helping companies make good on their commitments to stakeholders
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 7 – When 181 members of the Business Roundtable signed on to a new statement of corporate purpose a year ago, …
2030 Finance | October 7, 2020
JPMorgan Chase will align financing strategy with Paris Agreement
ImpactAlpha. Oct. 7 – The world’s largest fossil fuel funder said it would reduce financed emissions in line with Paris goals, promising more …
Impact Voices
Photo credit: Getty
Climate Finance | September 9, 2021
Letter from New Orleans: Climate risk is business risk, and opportunity
Consider these statements: “Climate Risk Is Investment Risk.” “The climate crisis poses enormous financial risk to investment managers, asset owners, and businesses. These …
Photo by Jan Kopřiva on Unsplash
Climate Finance | August 25, 2021
Investing in climate-smart farms to accelerate the net-zero transition
In case you haven’t seen the headlines – or haven’t experienced the extreme weather events yourself – climate change is here. In the …
Impact Voices | August 18, 2021
Modeling long-term emissions reductions to drive climate tech investments now
The increasing flow of capital into climate solutions offers a chance to avoid the most catastrophic climate scenarios. Increased investor focus on modeling …
Impact Voices | July 26, 2021
The case for a ‘Volcker Shock’ for climate
Contemporary efforts to grapple with the climate crisis almost all come with mid-twentieth century branding: a ‘Green New Deal,’ a ‘climate moonshot,’ a …
10kw wind turbine at Argonne National Laboratory | Photo credit: Science in HD on Unsplash
Impact Voices | June 7, 2021
Yes, impact-first catalytic capital is still needed for early-stage climate solutions
Climate technologies have become better and more affordable. Renewable energy can compete on cost with power from coal and natural-gas plants. The improving …
Image credit: FloodMapp
Impact Voices | June 3, 2021
For climate adaptation solutions, think smaller, local and experimental
This summer, drivers in Virginia’s coastal communities will have a new way to avoid hazardous flood zones generated by climate change. It’s not …
Santiago, Chile
2030 Finance | June 3, 2021
E-buses are accelerating e-mobility in Latin America
ImpactAlpha, June 3 – Fleets of zero-emission electric buses operating in Latin America were once a distant dream, especially for city dwellers commuting to …
Conservation | April 28, 2021
Who’s going to pay? Due diligence in conservation finance starts with the offtake agreement
Venture capitalists in many sectors have developed robust due-diligence practices. The conservation finance community and its catalytic investors are still learning what works. …
Impact Management | March 24, 2021
Despite climate pledges, Goldman Sachs continues fracking finance
Photo by Sobrevolando Patagonia
Photo credit: Farmcrowdy
Africa | March 24, 2021
African agtech is boosting yields, protecting resources and raising incomes
ImpactAlpha, March 24 – Field drones. Harvesting robots. Big Data-driven farm insights. Innovative technological applications in agriculture can have a profound impact on farmers’ …
Climate and Clean Tech | January 26, 2021
Obvious’ Andrew Beebe: We have entered the climate decade
As we finally put 2020 into hindsight, the road ahead is uncertain. On the one hand, stock markets continue to thrive, and the …
Impact Voices | January 26, 2021
Retool finance to rebuild soil health
Regenerative agriculture may be in vogue, but in many ways, it’s as old as agriculture itself, as practiced by our ancestors and to …
Impact Voices | January 13, 2021
What the U.S. return to the Paris Agreement means for investors
After years of signaling its intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement to fight climate change, the United States made the decision official …
Impact Voices | December 21, 2020
Financing for climate adaptation can drive Africa’s economic development and climate goals
Power is critical to Africa’s development. At least 600 million people across the continent that don’t have access to affordable and reliable power. …
Africa | November 23, 2020
An ‘impact-first’ approach to investing for climate justice in rural communities
If you are an investor interested in learning more about how to invest in climate justice solutions, join us on December 3rd for …
2030 Finance | July 28, 2020
The world is arriving at where climate investors have long been
ImpactAlpha, July 28 – Much has been written about the link between Covid and the environment, and how Covid will prompt a new …
Catalytic Capital | June 25, 2020
Building a better post-COVID food system with investments in small businesses in developing economies
COVID-19 is – and will continue to have – a huge impact on global food and nutrition security. On the supply side, restrictions …
Asia | May 6, 2020
Helping circular economy startups in emerging markets scale their impact
The COVID-19 crisis has put into stark contrast the need for increased investment in solutions like better resilience, local job creation, affordable healthcare, …
2030 Finance | April 16, 2020
Make new mistakes: Learning from the history of climate change to tackle the COVID challenge
The global experience – and response – to COVID19 is the latest example of history repeating itself. Very rarely have we experienced events …
2030 Finance | March 2, 2020
Catalyzing capital to develop carbontech for gigaton-scale CO2 removal
The pace of international carbon dioxide emissions reduction is insufficient to limit global average temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius. Even with rapid …
2030 Finance | February 18, 2020
Listen to customers, not hypesters, about the impact of energy access
Few would dispute that for many of the 840 million people without access to electricity globally, off-grid solutions will be essential to improving …
Africa | January 23, 2020
Blending philanthropic, public and private capital to finance climate infrastructure in emerging economies
ImpactAlpha, Jan. 23 – The Climate Finance Partnership, announced this week at the World Economic Forum, showcases the catalytic power of philanthropic and public …
Beats | November 19, 2019
“Sandboxes for nature” could speed up environmental innovation
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 19 – Regulatory sandboxes are relatively new tools that provide a special exemption from standard regulation—usually in the fintech and energy …
Catalytic Capital | October 30, 2019
Getting smart about subsidies to bridge the agricultural financing gap
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 30 – The latest data suggests that financial service providers are supplying about $70 billion to rural agricultural households around the …
2030 Finance | October 15, 2019
Climate-smart private equity investors take leadership in Africa
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 15 – Climate change poses an existential threat to our societies. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Africa – the …
Agrifood Tech | October 10, 2019
Investing with a ‘nutrition lens’ to drive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 10 – Poor nutrition is an untrenched global challenge that impacts many of the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Solving it …
2030 Finance | September 16, 2019
Investments in sustainable aquaculture point to a greener ‘blue economy’
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 16 – Aquaculture has emerged as a vital alternative to wild-caught fish, a major source of the world’s protein, as ocean …
Catalytic Capital | April 10, 2019
Key ingredient in the blended-finance blend: revenues
ImpactAlpha, April 10 – As the term “blended finance” increasingly becomes part of the global development vernacular, the phrase is popping up in …
Catalytic Capital | January 14, 2019
How Ceniarth is seeking higher impact on rural livelihoods – while preserving its own capital
ImpactAlpha, January 14 – Last summer, Diane Isenberg, founder of our family office Ceniarth, went public in ImpactAlpha with our firm’s pledge to …
Catalytic Capital | December 6, 2018
Changing climate means growing demand for ‘adaptation finance’
A mismatch between the growing climate crises and underinvestment in mitigation solutions such as renewable energy means more investment will be needed to …
2030 Finance | August 29, 2018
Foundations collaborate on catalytic financing to accelerate climate action
Climate change entrepreneurs and fund managers are developing innovative solutions to worldwide challenges. But too often, promising efforts languish on the drawing board …
Impact Tech | June 19, 2018
Technology ventures aim to tackle challenges of the world’s small farmers, too
Farmers have not been passively watching the technology revolution for the last 20 years. Yet most technical advances have targeted commercial farmers in …
Photo credit: Johnny Brown
2030 Finance | April 4, 2018
How investors can get the most climate-change impact for their bucks
By Scott P. Burger, Alicia Seiger, and Sarah Kearney ImpactAlpha, Apr. 4, 2018 –– By 2050, experts say, the world economy needs to …
2030 Finance | March 23, 2018
As shareholders get active on climate, the SEC lets companies duck votes
Many impact investors posit that holding positions in public companies leads to positive impact because of the ability to pressure management through shareholder …
Dealflow
Photo credit: Offshore Technology.
Climate Finance | October 20, 2021
CarbonCapture secures $35 million to suck carbon from the atmosphere
ImpactAlpha, October 20 — Direct air capture technology that can remove billions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere may be critical in …
Photo credit: Construction Review.
Dealflow | October 18, 2021
Actis’ sustainable energy infrastructure fund raises $4.7 billion
ImpactAlpha, October 18 — London-based Actis has raised $19 billion since 2004 for private equity, energy and real estate investments. The new fund, …
Photo credit: Life & Thyme.
Dealflow | October 18, 2021
Smallhold secures $25 million to grow organic mushrooms in local warehouses
ImpactAlpha, October 18 — Consumers are demanding locally-grown and climate-friendly food options. Brooklyn-based Smallhold is growing organic mushrooms in local warehouses for nearby …
Founders David Snydacker, Nick Goldberg, Tom Wilson. Photo credit: Lilac Solutions.
Climate Finance | October 12, 2021
Lilac Solutions raises $150 million to ramp up low-carbon lithium production
ImpactAlpha, October 12 — Electric vehicle and battery makers are facing a shortage of lithium, an essential element for production. Most of the …
Smallholder Agriculture | October 7, 2021
Tazah raises $2 million to connect Pakistan’s farmers to small food retailers
ImpactAlpha, October 7 – Tazah wants to streamline Pakistan’s $60 billion food supply chain and help farmers secure better prices by cutting out …
Photo credit: DroneSeed.
Climate Finance | October 5, 2021
Reforestation startup DroneSeed raises $36 million for rapid wildfire recovery
ImpactAlpha, October 5 — Seattle-based DroneSeed works on reforestation projects with government agencies, timber companies and nonprofits such as The Nature Conservancy. The …
Photo credit: Fluence.
Climate Finance | October 4, 2021
Fluence Energy seeks to ride the energy storage boom in public offering
ImpactAlpha, October 4 — Storage for wind, solar and other renewable energy sources is critical for a more reliable grid. The market for …
Climate Finance | September 30, 2021
Innovative mechanisms aim to crack the tough nuts of climate finance
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 30 – At this point, solar power, electric vehicles and optimization software are the low-hanging fruits. More difficult: funding sustainable infrastructure …
Photo credit: ColdHubs
Dealflow | September 29, 2021
Africa Eats crowdfunds capital to strengthen Africa’s food supply chains
ImpactAlpha, September 29 – Impact accelerator program Fledge last year launched Africa Eats to back promising startups in Africa that are strengthening the …
Photo credit: IndustryWired.
SDGs | September 28, 2021
Blue Bear closes $150 million fund for AI-enabled climate infrastructure
ImpactAlpha, September 27 — The Los Angeles-based fund received commitments from Goldman Sachs’ AIMS Imprint, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, ZOMA Capital, McKnight Foundation, and …
Photo credit: Lightyear.
Clean Energy | September 28, 2021
Lightyear raises $110 million for solar-powered electric vehicles
ImpactAlpha, September 28 — Electric-vehicle makers are looking for an edge. Lightyear is counting on a built-in solar panel on the roof. Lightyear …
Photo credit: ReelFruit
Dealflow | September 28, 2021
Alitheia backs Nigerian agri-processing venture ReelFruit
ImpactAlpha, September 28 – ReelFruit sources produce from local farmers for dried fruit snacks. The Lagos-based company’s $3 million Series A round will …
PHOTO BY KEVIN FRAYER, GETTY IMAGES.
Dealflow | September 27, 2021
Ara Partners fund secures $1.1 billion to decarbonize the industrial sector
ImpactAlpha, September 27 — Ara Fund II will focus on buyouts and growth investment in companies in industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, …
Photo credit: Zola Electric
SDGs | September 27, 2021
Zola Electric raises $90 million to expand off-grid energy access
ImpactAlpha, September 27 — Amsterdam-based Zola Electric launched in 2011 as Off Grid Electric to connect millions of energy-poor households to low-cost, renewable …
Photo credit: gnuGrid
Clean Energy | September 23, 2021
Uganda’s gnuGrid pivots from solar data to financial data
ImpactAlpha, September 23 – Kampala-based gnuGrid launched in 2019 as a data and payments intermediary for home solar providers and microgrid operators and …
Photo credit: The Nature Conservancy.
Conservation | September 21, 2021
Bezos Earth Fund commits $1 billion in grants to nature conservation
ImpactAlpha, September 22 — Bezos Earth Fund will begin deploying the capital this year to conserve and expand high-carbon stocks in Africa’s Congo …
Photo credit: H2Haul.
Corporate Impact | September 21, 2021
Citi Impact Fund adds seven new investments
ImpactAlpha, September 22 — Citi Impact Fund launched last year to invest in companies addressing workforce development, financial inclusion, sustainable energy and water …
Dealflow | September 21, 2021
Steward raises $8.8 million to expand online lending for sustainable farms
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 21 – Steward pools investments from individuals to provide capital to sustainably run farms, fisheries, and food producers. Since it was …
Photo credit: Arcadia
Dealflow | September 20, 2021
Arcadia raises $100 million to spur U.S. demand for community solar
ImpactAlpha, September 20 – Arcadia is on a mission to accelerate community solar in the U.S. The Washington, D.C.-based energy access company matches …
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Dealflow | September 16, 2021
CrossBoundary Energy and Zoodlabs develop solar-powered internet in Sierra Leone
ImpactAlpha, September 16 – CrossBoundary Energy invests in and develops commercial and industrial solar systems across Africa. Its latest deal is a 1.2-megawatt …
Photo credit: FortuneBuilders.
Climate Finance | September 15, 2021
Measurabl raises $50 million to help real estate investors measure for ESG
ImpactAlpha, September 15 — Global real estate investors are increasingly looking to implement environmental, social and governance initiatives in their investments and portfolios. …
Photo credit: Marvelous Foods.
Climate Finance | September 15, 2021
Lever VC secures $80 million alternative protein fund
ImpactAlpha, September 16 — The alternative meat market will grow by 28% a year and reach $85 billion by 2030, UBS forecasts. Plant-based …
Photo credit: Hexagon Geospatial.
Dealflow | September 14, 2021
The Nature Conservancy and Timberland Investment Group team up to scale forest conservation
ImpactAlpha, September 14 — The Nature Conservancy and Timberland Investment Group are seeking to bridge the gap between demand from institutional investors for …
Photo credit: Solarise Africa.
Climate Finance | September 13, 2021
Solarise Africa secures $5.9 million in debt financing from Trine
ImpactAlpha, September 14 — Nairobi-based Solarise provides financing for clean energy partners in Africa to design, build and maintain commercial and industrial solar …
Photo credit: Zero Waste Recycling.
Climate Finance | September 13, 2021
Impact Engine joins Mosaic on Zero Waste Recycling employee-ownership deal
ImpactAlpha, September 13 — Chicago-based Impact Engine is investing in employee-owned firms as a means to bridging wealth gaps (for context, see “These …
Photo credit: Solugen
Climate and Clean Tech | September 12, 2021
Solugen raises $357 million to decarbonize chemicals
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 12 – The chemicals industry – think fertilizers, detergents, water treatments – is the third-largest producer of global carbon emissions. By replacing …
Photo credit: Elemental Excelerator
Climate Finance | September 8, 2021
Elemental Excelerator spins out Earthshot Ventures with $60 million for inclusive climate tech
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 8 – Honolulu-based Elemental has built a track record over the past decade backing entrepreneurs like BlocPower’s Donnel Baird and ChargerHelp’s Kameale …
Oceans | September 8, 2021
Trio of climate funds launch ahead of fall climate summits
ImpactAlpha, September 8 – Climate action is in the air. Three new climate-focused funds debuted this week ahead of this month’s Climate Week …
Photo credit: Agricycle.
Conservation | September 7, 2021
Agricycle raises $2.4 million to repurpose food waste from smallholder farmers in Africa
ImpactAlpha, September 7 — Obstacles to the global market mean many smallholder farmers without adequate storage throw away large portions of their crops. …
Photo credit: VegNews.
Climate Finance | September 2, 2021
Plantible scores $21.5 million for duckweed-based protein
ImpactAlpha, September 2 — The San Diego-based company’s indoor aqua farms grow lemna, more commonly known as duckweed, which it harvests daily to …
Photo credit: Power Technology.
Dealflow | August 31, 2021
Energy Vault secures $100 million for gravity energy storage
ImpactAlpha, August 31 — The California- and Swiss-based developer works with utility and energy companies on energy storage solutions to complement solar and …
Photo credit: JOLT.
Dealflow | August 30, 2021
BlackRock takes a stake in JOLT to accelerate electric vehicle adoption in Australia
ImpactAlpha, August 30 — Australia is way behind in the global electric vehicle race. Sydney-based JOLT believes it can accelerate EV adoption with …
Jacqueline van den Ende. Photo credit: Carbon Equity.
Dealflow | August 30, 2021
Carbon Equity secures €1.2 million to lower minimums for private climate investing
ImpactAlpha, August 30 — “The vast majority of innovation and transformation concerning climate change will happen in private markets,” says Carbon Equity’s Jacqueline …
FlexGen grid energy storage systems
Climate Finance | August 26, 2021
Apollo backs FlexGen with $150 million to expand grid energy storage
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 26 – Energy storage helps address the challenges of intermittency and reliability created by the growth of renewable power generation. The Durham, …
Photo credit: UK Investor Magazine.
2030 Finance | August 26, 2021
Gresham House sustainable forest fund raises $175 million
ImpactAlpha, August 26 — Investors are starting to stockpile carbon as prices per ton curve upward (see, “Forget crypto: Here’s how to play …
Photo credit: TartanSense
Smallholder Agriculture | August 26, 2021
Robotics company TartanSense secures $5 million to help India’s farmers automate field tasks
ImpactAlpha, August 26 – Agriculture suffers from a worldwide labor shortage that has been exacerbated by the global pandemic. Bangalore-based TartanSense is developing …
Green Infrastructure | August 25, 2021
Urbint secures $60 million to prevent critical infrastructure failures
ImpactAlpha, August 25 – Investing in the improvement and climate-resilience of America’s aging infrastructure is the hot private-sector opportunity, particularly in light of …
Photo credit: Great River Energy
Long-termism | August 24, 2021
Form Energy scores backing from TPG’s $5.4 billion climate fund
ImpactAlpha, August 24 – Form Energy recently declared a breakthrough for its iron and air-based battery that will enable renewable energy projects to …
Photo credit: Benzinga.
Climate Finance | August 24, 2021
Regrow secures $17 million to help farmers monetize carbon reductions
ImpactAlpha, August 24 — “Implementing and scaling responsible, sustainable agricultural practices is the most actionable strategy we can take to reverse climate change,” …
Photo credit: Nexamp.
Climate Finance | August 19, 2021
Community solar developer Nexamp secures $680 million in debt and equity financing
ImpactAlpha, August 19 — The Boston, Mass.-based company, led by a pair of U.S. Army veterans, develops and manages solar-energy storage for approximately …
photo: Lowercarbon Capital
Climate Finance | August 16, 2021
Chris Sacca’s Lowercarbon Capital raises $800 million for climate tech
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 16 – It’s the first time Lowercarbon, run by Sacca, his wife Crystal Sacca and Clay Dumas, has taken in outside …
Fishermen in Baja California Sur | Photo credit:Pronatura Noroeste
Creative Economy | August 16, 2021
Fund for artisans backs Ilumexico to expand access to solar power for rural business
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 16 – The RISE Artisan Fund of volunteer-based Realize Impact launched a climate investing strategy to help energy-poor artisans transition to …
Photo credit: SparkCharge
Dealflow | August 12, 2021
LACI makes SparkCharge its tenth investment from its cleantech debt fund
ImpactAlpha, August 12 – Los Angeles-based cleantech incubator LACI last year launched a debt fund for underrepresented founders “to play a role in …
Photo credit: Smart Cities World.
Climate Finance | August 12, 2021
Ambri and Nanotech Energy raise financing to scale green battery technology
ImpactAlpha, August 12 — Green batteries, critical for global decarbonization efforts, are getting cheaper. Bill Gates-backed Ambri makes molten-salt batteries to store wind …
Photo credit: 80 Acres Farms.
Climate Finance | August 11, 2021
80 Acres Farms raises $160 million to scale vertical farming
ImpactAlpha, August 11 — Vertical farming ventures are raking in capital on the promise of increased food security and decreased carbon emissions. One …
Photo credit: V2Food.
Climate Finance | August 10, 2021
Australia’s v2Food raises $108 million Series B funding for global expansion
ImpactAlpha, August 10 — The plant-based protein producer offers alt-meat sausages, ground beef and patties. Investors included Belgian impact investor Astanor Ventures, which …
Photo credit: NAACP.
Climate Finance | July 29, 2021
Elevate Future Fund raises more than $60 million for diverse founders of climate startups
ImpactAlpha, July 29 — New York-based Energy Impact Partners is supplementing its strategy of enlisting corporate partners to invest in energy-transition technologies. The …
Innovative Finance | July 28, 2021
India’s Samunnati to list green bond to back climate-resilient farming
ImpactAlpha, July 28 – Chennai-based Samunnati is a rare source of financing for India’s 130 million smallholder farmers, coupling capital with agricultural support …
Hank Paulson (TPG Rise Fund) and Mark Carney (Brookfield) | Photo credits: Getty / EPA
Climate Finance | July 27, 2021
TPG Rise ($5.4 billion) and Brookfield ($7 billion) raise the stakes for climate funds
ImpactAlpha, July 27 – The funds from TPG Rise and Brookfield represent a step-change for climate funds in both size and scale of institutional …
Photo credit: Rivian.
2030 Finance | July 27, 2021
Rivian rakes in $2.5 billion to commercialize electric pickups and SUVs
ImpactAlpha, July 27 — The Irvine, Calif.-based company plans to deliver its electric pickup trucks and SUVs to customers this fall and is …
Photo credit: National Geographic Society.
2030 Finance | July 27, 2021
Hartree Partners and Wildlife Works tap voluntary carbon markets to finance forest protection
ImpactAlpha, July 27 — The partnership is an example of how rising prices for carbon credits are making more conservation initiatives investable (see, …
Photo credit: PowerGen
Dealflow | July 26, 2021
CrossBoundary backs PowerGen to develop mini-grids in Nigeria
ImpactAlpha, July 26 – Nairobi-based PowerGen has developed three megawatts of small-scale distributed energy projects serving 20,000 people in Africa. The investment from …
Photo credit: Sol Systems.
Climate Finance | July 26, 2021
KKR acquires minority stake in Sol Systems’ community renewable energy platform
ImpactAlpha, July 26 — Washington, D.C.-based Sol Systems has financed or developed more than one gigawatt of community solar projects valued at more …
Photo credit: NEEF.
Climate Finance | July 26, 2021
World Bank catastrophe bond for Jamaica to cover up to $185 million in disaster relief
ImpactAlpha, July 26 — The bond will allow the government of Jamaica to quickly secure capital for recovery and to respond more rapidly …
Photo credit: LookUpStrata.
Dealflow | July 22, 2021
Aflac and Denham Capital form $2.1 billion sustainable infrastructure partnership
ImpactAlpha, July 22 —Boston-based Denham has built a 15-year track record investing in global renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure. The partnership with Aflac …
Photo credit: Camus Energy.
Dealflow | July 21, 2021
Camus Energy secures $16 million to help utilities manage low-carbon electric grids
ImpactAlpha, July 21 — The San Francisco startup, launched by ex-Google engineers, uses AI- and machine learning to help local utilities and energy …
Conservation | July 20, 2021
New Forests expands sustainable forestry portfolio in California and Oregon
ImpactAlpha, July 20 – Australia-based New Forests acquires and manages forestlands for both sustainable timber production and conservation (see, “Taking an ‘impact tranche,’ …
Climate Finance | July 19, 2021
Generate raises $2 billion amid sustainable infrastructure push
ImpactAlpha, July 19 – Project finance is in hot demand as corporations, governments and other organizations scramble to green their operations. That’s fueling …
Photo credit: Pivot Bio.
Dealflow | July 19, 2021
Pivot Bio rakes in $430 million to replace synthetic nitrogen in agriculture
ImpactAlpha, July 19 — Berkeley, Calif.-based biotech company Pivot Bio wants to make corn, wheat and rice – the world’s three biggest cereal …
Photo credit: Heart Aerospace
Dealflow | July 15, 2021
Heart Aerospace gets backing for zero-carbon planes from United and Mesa airlines
ImpactAlpha, July 15 – Mainstream air carriers are getting on board latest hot topic in the decarbonization race: electric airplanes (see, “Zero-carbon air …
Photo credit: Mazars.
2030 Finance | July 14, 2021
Ecosystem Integrity Fund closes $250 million sustainability tech fund
ImpactAlpha, July 14 — The San Francisco-based firm raised $100 million for its third fund in 2019 to invest in early- and growth-stage …
Image credit: Verkor
Clean Energy | July 13, 2021
Race for better lithium batteries accelerates with two big raises
ImpactAlpha, July 13 – Batteries are big as startups and investors bet on the low-carbon energy transition. SES, based near Boston, scored $100 …
Photo credit: Millionacres.
Climate Finance | July 13, 2021
Wood building fund aims to cut construction carbon in Europe
ImpactAlpha, July 13 — Construction of buildings was responsible for 38% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. Real estate developers in Europe …
Active Impact's team | Photo credit: Yahoo Finance.
Climate Finance | July 8, 2021
Active Impact Investments closes $54 million fund for early-stage climate tech investments
ImpactAlpha, July 8 — The spike in climate financing has yet to reach early-stage startups. “Early-stage companies can’t mature without funding,” Active Impact’s Mike …
Photo credit: Industria Italiana.
Climate Finance | July 7, 2021
Apollo takes controlling stake of Italian eco-packaging producer Reno De Medici
ImpactAlpha, July 7 – Apollo Global Management last year brought on impact investing veteran Lisa Hall to help drive impact investing deeper into the …
Dealflow | July 1, 2021
Turntide secures $225 million to make electrical motors more efficient
ImpactAlpha, July 1 – Turntide Technologies makes energy-efficient “smart” motors for transportation, agriculture, commercial buildings and shipping. The goal: accelerating the low-carbon transition by …
Photo credit: Aquagenuity
Dealflow | June 30, 2021
Aquagenuity closes $1.7 million seed round to prevent water-related crises
ImpactAlpha, June 30 – The Flint water crisis was a wakeup call that safe drinking water is not a given, especially in underserved …
Cusco, Peru
Dealflow | June 29, 2021
Land Accelerator gets a worm’s eye view of Peru’s conservation entrepreneurs
ImpactAlpha, June 29 — Blockchain forestry. Water “planting.” New superfoods. Twenty-five entrepreneurs participated in World Resources Institute’s second country-specific Land Accelerator program, called …
The waterfront in downtown Buffalo New York. Photo credit: Xylem.
Dealflow | June 24, 2021
Buffalo Sewer Authority issues a $54 million environmental impact bond for stormwater management
ImpactAlpha, June 24 — Environmental impact bonds, or EIBs, reward investors for backing projects that achieve positive environmental outcomes. Baltimore, Atlanta and Hampton, …
Photo credit: AMEA Power.
Clean Energy | June 24, 2021
Abu Dhabi investor develops 50-megawatt solar power plant in Togo
ImpactAlpha, June 24 — Dubai-based AMEA Power, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi conglomerate AlNowais Investments, specializes in the acquisition, development and management of …
Climate and Clean Tech | June 24, 2021
Circulate Capital closes first $14 million for new waste reduction fund
ImpactAlpha, June 24 – Singapore-based Circulate Capital has been investing in recycling and waste reduction efforts to keep plastic out of oceans and …
Photo credit: Douglas fir forest.
Climate Finance | June 23, 2021
J.P. Morgan Asset Management acquires Campbell Global to secure forest-carbon credits
ImpactAlpha, June 23 — J.P. Morgan Asset Management has acquired Portland, Oregon-based Campbell Global. The acquisition gives the bank exposure to the growing …
Photo credit: BOB.
Dealflow | June 22, 2021
S2G Ventures backs five blue economy startups
ImpactAlpha, June 22 — SG2 Ventures last year raised $100 million for its Ocean and Seafood fund to invest in early- and growth-stage …
Frontier and Growth Markets | June 21, 2021
Berkeley Energy raises €130 million for second Africa Renewable Energy Fund
ImpactAlpha, June 21 – Berkeley Energy is looking to build hydro, wind and solar projects, as well as battery storage facilities, to meet Africa’s …
Photo credit: Transcendent.ai.
Climate Finance | June 17, 2021
Rise Fund’s Matrix Renewables acquires solar portfolios in Spain and Portugal
ImpactAlpha, June 17 — Madrid-based global renewable energy investor Matrix Renewables is acquiring a 300-megawatt solar energy portfolio from Spain’s Alten Renewable Energy. …
Photo credit: EcoATM.
Climate Finance | June 17, 2021
EcoATM Gazelle secures $75 million for e-waste recycling
ImpactAlpha, June 17 — A record 53.6 million metric tons of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019. San Diego-based EcoATM is building …
Photo credit: Proterra.
Climate Finance | June 16, 2021
G2 Venture Partners raises $500 million for second sustainability fund
ImpactAlpha, June 16 — G2 Venture Partners spun out of Kleiner Perkins in 2017 to invest in the modernization and greening of transportation, …
Photo credit: SupPlant.
Green Infrastructure | June 15, 2021
SupPlant raises $10 million for affordable irrigation for smallholder farmers
ImpactAlpha, June 15 — SupPlant‘s sensorless hardware collects real-time data on plants, soil and the climate conditions to help farmers make precise irrigation …
Photo credit: Volkswagen.
Dealflow | June 10, 2021
Battery manufacturer Northvolt raises $2.8 billion to expand gigafactory in Sweden
ImpactAlpha, June 10 — Stockholm-based Northvolt has raised $2.7 billion to expand a gigafactory from 40 to 60 gigawatt-hours of annual capacity to …
Photo by Osman Rana on Unsplash.
Dealflow | June 3, 2021
The Rise Fund puts $100 million into Climavision to improve weather forecasting
ImpactAlpha, June 3 — Louisville, Kentucky-based radar and satellite startup Climavision helps agriculture, government, insurance, renewable energy and transportation customers make more accurate …
Africa | June 2, 2021
ADAP Capital backs FarmMoja to train Kenyan farmers
ImpactAlpha, June 2 – Kericho-based FarmMoja operates in Kenya’s tea region, offering hundreds of smallholder farmers access to farming inputs and technical training, particularly …
Photo credit: Financial Access.
Smallholder Agriculture | June 2, 2021
IDH Farmfit Fund acquires stake in LendXS to expand lending to smallholder farmers
ImpactAlpha, June 2 — Approximately 270 million smallholder farmers worldwide live in poverty; few banks are willing to extend them credit due to …
Clean Energy | May 27, 2021
Blackstone’s ClearGen commits $500 million to build minigrids for commercial users
ImpactAlpha, May 27 – Many building owners and operators want to take control of their energy supply, but on-site microgrids require significant capital outlays. …
Photo credit: Gridware
Climate Finance | May 26, 2021
Gridware aims to monitor the power grid to prevent power failures and wildfires
ImpactAlpha, May 26 — More than 4 million acres burned during California’s wildfire season last year, which included the first ‘gigafire’ of more …
Photo credit: 60Hertz Energy.
Dealflow | May 25, 2021
60Hertz Energy secures $1.3 million for microgrid management
ImpactAlpha, May 25 — Anchorage, Alaska-based 60Hertz Energy helps energy providers manage more than $140 million in remote microgrid assets in seven countries. …
Photo credit: EMILY SIDES/INSIDENOVA
Climate Finance | May 24, 2021
Micron’s lenders reward environmental performance with $3.7 billion in sustainability-linked loans
ImpactAlpha, May 24 — Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology has closed $3.7 billion in sustainability-linked loans. The computer memory and storage maker will get …
Photo credit: Moxion Power.
Dealflow | May 20, 2021
Energy Impact Partners backs Moxion Power and Zap Energy
ImpactAlpha, May 20 — New York-based Energy Impact Partners counts Microsoft and electric utilities as strategic partners. Richmond, Virginia-based Moxion has raised $10 …
Photo credit: Ebrahim Noroozi / AP
Climate Finance | May 20, 2021
Altum Capital expands climate finance in Mexico with $50 million from IFC
ImpactAlpha, May 20 – The International Finance Corp. estimates that $791 billion in climate and clean energy investments are needed in Mexico by …
Photo credit: BETA.
Signals | May 19, 2021
Zero-carbon air travel takes flight with a wave of new investments
ImpactAlpha, May 19 — As air travel rebounds, so too does the airline industry’s massive carbon footprint. Aviation was responsible for 915 million …
Photo credit: TWAICE.
Dealflow | May 19, 2021
Germany’s TWAICE raises $26 million to optimize lithium-ion batteries
ImpactAlpha, May 19 — Munich-based TWAICE helps automobile and energy companies fine-tune battery performance. The software company has raised $26 million in a …
Climate and Clean Tech | May 18, 2021
Cortex Intel raises $6 million to decarbonize commercial buildings
ImpactAlpha, May 18 – New York-based Cortex Intel’s machine learning technology helps commercial building engineers run equipment more efficiently. Currently, buildings with more …
Climate and Clean Tech | May 13, 2021
Orion Energy Partners’ $1.1 billion fund taps investor appetite for energy transition
ImpactAlpha, May 13 – Orion’s Energy Credit Opportunities Fund III is the latest entrant into an increasingly crowded market for funds looking to …
Photo credit: Techcouver.
Climate and Clean Tech | May 10, 2021
Mitsubishi and South Pole partner to finance carbon-removal tech
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Carbon removal technology that captures CO2 from the air, coupled with permanent storage, will be key to decarbonization efforts, …
Photo credit: Einride.
Impact Tech | May 10, 2021
Einride secures $110 million to expand electric freight transit in the U.S. and Europe
ImpactAlpha, May 10 — Einride integrates electric and autonomous vehicles to move commercial products. The Swedish company’s Einride Pod is a fully-electric driverless …
Climate Finance | May 5, 2021
EnCap Investments raises $1.2 billion energy transition fund
ImpactAlpha, May 5 – Houston-based oil and gas private equity firm EnCap Investments has raised 22 institutional investment funds totaling roughly $38 billion …
Photo credit: Solidia Technologies.
Dealflow | May 4, 2021
Breakthrough Energy Ventures backs three climate-tech startups
ImpactAlpha, May 4 — Breakthrough Energy Ventures collected another $1 billion at the start of this year to invest in up to 50 …
Photo credit: Solid Power
Impact Tech | May 4, 2021
Solid Power secures $130 million to scale EV battery production
ImpactAlpha, May 4 — Louisville, Colorado-based Solid Power develops solid-state batteries for electric vehicles that it says are cheaper, more efficient and safer …
2030 Finance | April 29, 2021
Paris-based Tikehau Capital launches private equity decarbonization fund for North America
ImpactAlpha, April 29 – Tikehau Capital has raised $300 million for its first North America-focused fund to invest in businesses supporting the transition to …
Photo credit: PosiGen
Climate Finance | April 29, 2021
PosiGen scores $27 million to bring low-cost solar energy to American households
ImpactAlpha, April 29 — New Orleans-based PosiGen is aiming to make solar energy accessible through low-cost rooftop solar panel leasing and energy efficiency …
SDGs | April 28, 2021
Off-Grid Market Development Fund offers results-based financing for solar access in Madagascar
Off-Grid Market Development Fund is providing subsidies to a dozen companies to deliver solar power in Madagascar. Only 14% of Madagascar’s 25.7 million …
Podcasts
Full Cycle's Stephan Nicoleau
The Reconstruction | September 20, 2021
The Reconstruction: Redressing the past with climate-smart infrastructure for a just transition (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, Sept 20 – Infrastructure is highways and bridges. And hospitals and airports; broadband, clean water, plumbing and electricity. And it all needs …
Climate Finance | August 17, 2021
Forget crypto: Here’s how to play the rising price of carbon (podcast)
ImpactAlpha, August 17, 2021 – Rising demand. Shrinking supply. Higher prices. Carbon markets in Europe, California and elsewhere are finally starting to work …
Podcasts | January 13, 2021
Generate’s Jigar Shah: What’s next for sustainable infrastructure? Deployment, deployment deployment
ImpactAlpha, Jan 13 – First came solar and wind energy. Then batteries and storage. Now, a raft of better, cheaper and more sustainable …
Podcasts | December 18, 2020
Institutional Shift: The Great Burp Forward and other trends to watch in 2021
ImpactAlpha, December 18, 2020 – As it’s fit and proper to take stock of last year’s predictions before venturing new ones, we looked back …
Podcasts | December 17, 2020
Wildfires bring to the fore financing for forest resilience
Wildfires are natural. Catastrophic firestorms are not. More than 4 million acres of California burned this year, a record that included the first …
2030 Finance | September 23, 2019
Mispriced climate risks signal investment shocks – and opportunities for action
The bigger the protests, the better for investors. In a counter-intuitive shift, the estimated four million global youth climate strikers who took to …
2030 Finance | December 10, 2018
Climate signals blinking red, a test for global leadership at COP24 (updated)
Updates from COP 24 Leaders and laggards. Maersk, the world’s largest container shipper, pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2050, in the latest sign …
Photo credit: Tim Easley
Climate Finance | April 3, 2018
Institutional investors come for the risk reduction, stay for the impact
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 3, 2018 –– The billionaires with their family offices command on outsized share of attention from impact fund managers. The …
Climate Finance | March 23, 2018
Which financial innovations will grow from billions to trillions?
https://medium.com/media/82d73555419e0a8a96448332079b505c/href By finding inventive ways to make social inclusion and environmental regeneration pay, innovative financing models are “internalizing positive externalities.” Too wonky? Just …
2030 Finance | November 22, 2017
Trillion-dollar question: How are the world’s biggest asset owners playing the risks ahead?
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 21 – No sooner had we recorded the latest episode of ImpactAlpha’s Returns on Investment podcast than Norway’s trillion-dollar sovereign wealth …
2030 Finance | September 22, 2017
Hurricanes add urgency to efforts to make climate resilience investable
https://medium.com/media/8c3aacc51fd93d95948bd6c177f57b9d/href We’re only beginning to tally the devastation from hurricanes Harvey, Irma and now Maria — and the wildfires in the Western U.S. and the …
2030 Finance | February 22, 2017
Why is Cleantech Still a Dirty Word for Investors?
Climate Finance https://medium.com/media/ecd55fa1f9cd2c83d228972a14902dad/href Now the 2016 numbers are in, thanks to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. And the worldwide totals are (drumroll) a drop …
2030 Finance | April 22, 2016
Turning Paris Climate Agreements Into Institutional-Ready Investments (Podcast)
https://medium.com/media/697e46c0cbcb9f523233eb5132cc226c/href But it’s going to take more than speeches or even treaties (which won’t go into effect until at least 2018, if not …
Calls
The Reconstruction | October 15, 2021
Call No. 32: Black tech, green solutions for the planet and the people (video)
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 15 – Invest in climate action for the planet – and the people. “Climate change is a public health issue, it’s a …
Photo credit: Kuli Kuli
Call Recording | March 1, 2021
Call No. 27: Opportunities at the intersection of gender and climate
ImpactAlpha, March 1 – Capital is flowing to climate solutions. Climate bonds have topped $1 trillion. SPACs, or special purpose acquisition companies are …
Features | October 19, 2020
Call No. 24: Agents of Impact converge on financing solutions to ‘light every clinic’
The people and principles needed to solve the challenges of financing solar power for frontline health clinics were represented on ImpactAlpha’s Agents of …
Call Recording | July 1, 2020
Call No. 20: Investors share experiences in getting their assets off the sidelines
“It’s a great time for new entrants, but for those of us who’ve been doing this for a while it is equally urgent to raise our game right and to not get complacent,” said Margot Brandenburg of the Ford Foundation.
Features | June 24, 2020
Call No. 19: Green infrastructure is back on the agenda
ImpactAlpha, Jun 24 – The action in climate action is shifting to infrastructure. Driven by falling price curves for renewables, mispriced risk, and …
Agents of Impact
Bold leaders. Taking action. Driving impact.