🎧 Impact Briefing. The numbers tell the story: overall attendance at COP28 is up threefold from last year – and the number of fossil fuel lobbyists is up fourfold. On this week’s podcast, Amy Cortese explores the tale of two COPs in conversations with Marilyn Waite of the Climate Finance Fund and Dawn Lippert of Elemental Excelerator, who share their experiences this week in the green and blue zones. Host Monique Aiken has the headlines.
Tzeporah Berman, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty: Winding down production to fulfill the Paris Agreement. The fate of fossil fuels presents a moment of reckoning for COP28 as national delegations debate the wording of a final agreement. “Phase out” in a non-starter, even as a growing number of countries and experts say that’s the only way to keep warming near 1.5 degrees Celsius? Even the weaker “phase down” is expected to be scuttled by Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing states, which prefer to talk about tripling global renewable energy by the end of the decade. Global COP agreements require consensus and are non binding, resulting in “rules that meet the lowest common denominator,” says Tzeporah Berman with the nonprofit Stand.Earth. Berman’s alternative: a Fossil Fuel Nonproliferation Treaty that would bind signatories to end new fossil fuel production, similar to how nuclear treaties have worked. At COP28, Colombia, Latin America’s fourth largest oil producer, became the latest nation to sign on, alongside 10 island nations, the European Parliament, the World Health Organization and dozens of cities (for background, see “New Climate Leaders: Winning with a green agenda”).
Deal spotlight: Blended finance stars as COP28 seeks to unlock climate capital. Within the United Arab Emirates’ $30 billion commitment to Altérra climate fund is a $5 billion carveout that could represent an unprecedented infusion of catalytic capital. The Altérra Transformation Fund will provide risk-mitigation capital to incentivize private climate investment in least-developed countries and small island states. The other $25 billion is earmarked for the Alterra Acceleration Fund, which has already committed $6.5 billion to climate funds managed by BlackRock, Brookfield Asset Management and TPG. With the two funds together, the UAE aims to mobilize $250 billion in institutional capital for the transition to a net-zero economy. Blended finance – the layering of different sources of capital with different risk, return and impact expectations – is crucial for building markets and unlocking money for places and sectors it otherwise wouldn’t go. “In the absence of sufficient flows from North to South, getting leverage out of the pockets of blended finance is really vital,” the IFC’s Jamie Fergusson told Reuters.
Citing poor returns, activist investor (and one-time Agent of Impact) Jeffrey Ubben is winding down Inclusive Capital Partners, the sustainable investment firm he founded three years ago… President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, Latin America’s fourth-largest oil power, signed on to the Fossil Fuel Nonproliferation Treaty (see Agent of Impact, above)… Latino Community Foundation appointed Julian Castro, a former Obama administration cabinet member, to CEO.
US-based jobs
ImpactAlpha, November 17 – That women are more adversely affected by climate change is well established (in impact and development circles at any …
This week’s Agents of Impact Call continued a tradition started nearly a decade ago by Fran Seegull of the US Impact Investing Alliance …
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 29 – It’s the age-old struggle: labor vs capital, workers vs. owners. But what happens when employees get a stake in the …
ImpactAlpha, August 25 – A growing ecosystem of Native-led entrepreneurs, lenders, financial intermediaries and nonprofits are driving Indian Country’s emerging economy. “It’s kind …
ImpactAlpha, July 28 – Most historically Black colleges and universities were formed during the Reconstruction era. In the more than a century since, Spelman, …
ImpactAlpha, Jun. 22 – Even as some politicians ramp up anti-ESG rhetoric, asset owners and allocators are signaling an appetite for investment strategies …
ImpactAlpha, Mar. 31 – The search for a universal metric to guide investments in racial justice and equitable wealth-building was…aspirational. “We are still a …
ImpactAlpha. Feb. 24 – “A labor market where workers have more opportunities and have more power and have more leverage is a good …
ImpactAlpha, Feb. 9 – The fatal beating by police of Tyre Nichols in Memphis last month exposed risks to the city’s finances that have …
ImpactAlpha, Nov. 18 – Cities around the U.S. are raising low-cost capital in the municipal bond markets by highlighting intentional efforts to address long-standing …
ImpactAlpha, September 30 – Capital to support women’s economic growth and financial inclusion is flowing – finally! – in many advanced economies. In emerging …
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 19 – Investors, entrepreneurs, corporate executives and world leaders have descended on New York for Climate Week, the annual gathering alongside the …
The numbers tell the story: overall attendance at COP28 is up threefold from last year – and the number of fossil fuel lobbyists …
Private foundations collectively control more than a trillion dollars of capital invested across a variety of traditional asset classes. A small portion of …
ImpactAlpha’s Amy Cortese speaks with Full Cycle’s Stephan Nicoleau at the start of COP 28 to hear what he’s expecting – and hoping …
Pension funds, with hundreds of billions in long-term assets, can be a key source of capital for impact investors and entrepreneurs. Black, Indigenous, …
The Wilmington coup of 1898 is not as well known as the Tulsa massacre of 1921. But the events of that day changed …
ImpactAlpha’s Dennis Price catches up with María Hollan, a second-generation steward of her family’s assets at Timke Ventures in Mexico City. Hollan was …
David Bank catches up with Courageous Capital Advisors’ Laurie Spengler to talk about what the mainstreaming of impact investing means for smaller impact …
Graham Singh shares the financing mechanisms that Trinity Centres Foundation is developing for repurposing churches. And, David Bank shares ImpactAlpha’s big news. Plus, …
Unicef USA’s Cristina Shapiro joins David Bank to introduce child-lens investing, a framework for considering investment harms and benefits to children, who have …
Roraj Pradhananga and Jane Swan of Veris Wealth Partners join host Monique Aiken to discuss how the wealth manager is rethinking due diligence …
Host Brian Walsh shares highlights from this week’s agents of impact call, “The employee-ownership edge,” which explored the range of opportunities for investing …
David Bank is joined by Marjorie Kelly of The Democracy Collaborative to explore the ways that impact investors both help and hinder systemic …
This crypto rally can be different. Crypto’s rise, then fall, then recent rise again, presents an opportunity for venture capitalists to invest more …
Editor’s Note: Community Finance Brief is weekly newsletter from Matt Posner of Court Street Group, now syndicated on ImpactAlpha. When a town, city …
Institutional investors – aka, limited 0artners, or LPs – are increasingly integrating sustainability into their investment processes for private markets. That requires managing …
The backlash against investing for racial equity has only grown since last summer’s Supreme Court ruling that struck down the use of race …
An expanding range of financing mechanisms and vehicles are emerging to help private capital providers direct money and resources to their small business …
As the private sector has become increasingly engaged in the effort to combat climate change, debates have emerged about the impact and legality …
The private equity industry, known for its focus on efficiency improvements and earnings growth, has expanded dramatically in the past decade, tripling assets …
There is an urgent race to curb rising temperatures and prevent the worst effects of climate change. This is reflected in a growing …
The impact-first philosophy that Ceniarth has championed has had its fair share of challenges. But we remain convinced that it is critical to …
Private equity has a significant opportunity to create financial and societal value through sustainability. PE firms that invest in improving the management and …
Climate tech investment is booming. Since 2013, there have been more than 6,000 investors (private, public and philanthropic) in climate tech startups, and …
When UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak watered down the UK’s commitment to its Net Zero targets earlier this fall, he at least started …
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. It is republished …
Sustainable development? “More of the same.” Forest carbon credits? “Outside-imposed extraction.” Impact investing? “Are we really going far enough? Or are we just …
ImpactAlpha, September 8 — In 15 years in impact investing, Christopher Bentley noticed “a lot of for-profit companies focused on the criminal justice …
ImpactAlpha, August 18 – Monica Brand Engel’s advice to impact investors is this: Imperfect execution is ok. “Authentic impact is about accepting imperfection …
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 11 – Samuel Yeboah isn’t discouraged by the economic storm battering his home country of Ghana and many other emerging economies. “As …
Many investors look at promising new climate solutions and say, ‘Great, come back to me when you have traction.’ Azolla Ventures is more …
ImpactAlpha, June 30 – The first thing that Katherine Stodulka does when you meet her is suggest you meet someone else. Then she’ll …
ImpactAlpha, May 26 – A decade ago, investors pushed back against the loan products Jessica Espinoza was designing for female business owners as …
ImpactAlpha, May 12 – Nigeria-born climate entrepreneur and “professional nomad” Aina Abiodun is bullish on place-based climate innovation. “There is nothing more urgent than …
ImpactAlpha, May 5 – John Moore quit his corporate gig and moved to Philadelphia two decades ago. He found a city rich in …
ImpactAlpha, April 28 — A first generation Nigerian-American, Su Sanni grew up in East New York, Brooklyn and Jamaica, Queens. The low-income neighborhoods, …
ImpactAlpha, Apr. 21 – Attorney and academic Lourdes Germán recognized early the power of public finance. She has spent years working at firms including …
ImpactAlpha, May 21 – On this week’s podcast, ImpactAlpha’s David Bank joins host Monique Aiken to talk about financing The Reconstruction. Plus, the headlines.
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{{beat.name}}This year’s Ben Affleck and Matt Damon movie, Air, is a classic story of American enterprise. It features people and organizations once on …
ImpactAlpha, October 16 — Giving workers ownership stakes in the companies they work for improves employees’ motivation, productivity, retention and drives long-term business …
ImpactAlpha, October 2 — Equitable homeownership is a key strategy for narrowing racial wealth gaps. Centering Black women is key to the success …
Host Brian Walsh shares highlights from this week’s agents of impact call, “The employee-ownership edge,” which explored the range of opportunities for investing …
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 29 – It’s the age-old struggle: labor vs capital, workers vs. owners. But what happens when employees get a stake in the …
ImpactAlpha, September 28 — Vernier Science Education, a textbook, software and lab equipment provider for K-12 science and technology education, is converting ownership …
ImpactAlpha, September 28 — Black ownership was the theme that echoed through the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at last week’s annual legislative …
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 25 – It’s the age-old struggle: labor and capital typically are at odds in the workplace and the financial markets. Case in …
ImpactAlpha, September 14 — Women leaders of color are stepping up ecosystem-building efforts to counter the recent legal attacks against minority-owned and led …
This essay is adapted from Marjorie Kelly’s forthcoming book, “Wealth Supremacy: How the Extractive Economy and the Biased Rules of Capitalism Drive Today’s …
ImpactAlpha, August 23 — Over the decades, discriminatory practices in the US real estate industry have blocked many households of color from the …
ImpactAlpha, August 22 — Brooklyn, NY-based Teamshares has raised $245 million to build a national portfolio of 10,000 employee-owned small businesses. The opportunity: …
ImpactAlpha, Dec. 6 – When the city of Atlanta issued $370 million of what it called “social bonds” in December 2022, the sale’s …
Editor’s Note: Community Finance Brief is weekly newsletter from Matt Posner of Court Street Group, now syndicated on ImpactAlpha. When a town, city …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post or on …
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 18 – A new approach to a well-worn financing mechanism is attracting attention to Chicago. The city is employing a new …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post or on …
ImpactAlpha, Oct. 11 – A community’s racial makeup, irrespective of economic variables, affects its cost of capital in the $4 trillion US municipal bond …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post or on …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post or on …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post or on …
Editor’s note: ImpactAlpha has partnered with HIP Investor to highlight upcoming bond issues with social and/or environmental significance. Disclaimer: Nothing in this post or on …
ImpactAlpha, Aug. 21 – The amounts are small, but the implications could be profound. When micro lender Pro Mujer earlier this year distributed …
ImpactAlpha, December 8 — Investment funds, foundations, banks and other firms are looking to fill up on impact talent by year’s end. Just this …
ImpactAlpha, December 1 — Investment funds, foundations, banks and other firms are looking to fill up on impact talent by year’s end. Just …
ImpactAlpha, November 17 — Foundations, fund managers and other investors are hunting for impact talent before the year comes to a close. Just this …
ImpactAlpha, November 10 — Banks, fund managers and other investors are hunting for impact talent before the year comes to a close. Just this …
ImpactAlpha, November 3 — Fund management firms, banks and other investors, particularly on the US east coast, are on the hunt for impact talent. …
Foundations, pension funds and fund management firms are among the organizations on the hunt for impact talent this fall. Just this week: US East …
ImpactAlpha, October 20 — Foundations, banks and fund management firms are among the organizations on the hunt for impact talent this fall. Just this …
ImpactAlpha, October 13 — Impact investors are seeking new talent in the US and globally. Just this week: In the US In Washington, …
ImpactAlpha, October 6 — Foundations, banks and fund management firms are among the organizations on the hunt for impact talent this fall. Just …
ImpactAlpha, September 29 — The majority of openings on this week’s impact jobs board are in big cities such as San Francisco, New York …
ImpactAlpha, September 22 — Impact talent is in demand. Fund managers, foundations and other impact investors are hiring in US and global cities. …
ImpactAlpha, September 15 — Impact investors in the US, Europe and the rest of the world are looking to fill newly-vacant positions ahead …