Justice Climate Fund
Led by the Community Builders of Color Coalition and designed to provide capital, leverage resources, and support zero-emission technologies in low-income and disadvantaged communities across the United States.
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Our Fight
Through the Justice Climate Fund, the Community Builders of Color Coalition, led by the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, are committed to fighting for:
- Over 110 million Americans living in low income and disadvantaged communities including 1 in 2 African- Americans, Latinos, Native Indians and Alaskans living in Justice 40 communities.
- Nearly 37 million Americans living in energy poverty, experiencing high energy burdens which impacting family budgets, health and resiliency.
- The tens of millions of Americans impacted and soon to be impacted by the increased number and intensity of climate related events (e.g., droughts, storms, floods) which stresses inadequate housing and infrastructure.
- The thousands of communities facing negative health impacts from pollution and environmental hazards.
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About Us
The Justice Climate Fund is led by the Community Builders of Color Coalition, a national network of 18 financial institutions and advocacy organizations led primarily by people of color who came together with a singular focus of ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged communities equitably benefit from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Our members have:
- Financial Strength: Over $461 Billion in assets under management.
- Deep Community Roots: Active in nearly 3 out of 4 census tracts (low income/ disadvantaged and all US).
- Green Activity: Over 400 members actively pursuing green lending products.
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Our Values
The Justice Climate Fund is purposely built to maximize the dual goals of rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and transforming communities through increased benefits (environmental, energy, climate, health and economic).
Our strategy is based on three core principles.
- Community First: Building and designing products, services, and solutions from the inside out that first meet the needs of low-income disadvantaged communities (consumers, businesses, and organizations) creates a more sustainable, durable and impactful market.
- Distributed Strength: Embedding expertise, resources and capital in local communities using the existing network of CDFI’s, Credit Unions, MDIs and Green Banks is the quickest and most efficient way to deploy capital and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Urgent Patience: Balancing the need for near-term greenhouse reductions with the creation of medium to longer term benefits in low income disadvantage communities must be a constant priority to achieve the promise of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund as outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act.
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Our Approach
This unique time and opportunity in our shared history require that we work together in a collaborative spirit from urban to rural, east coast to west coast, black belt to rust belt and heartland to tribal lands. Bringing together the best ideas, solutions, and people to work in partnership transforming and readying all our communities, particularly low income, disadvantaged and communities of color for a climate transition.
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Resources & Press Room
- Announcing the launch of the Justice Climate Fund – 5/3/2023 Press Release
- Community Builders of Color Coalition-1-Pager
- Banking Exchange: Financial Service Groups Back Biden’s Environmental Justice Drive
- The Messenger: The EPA Doesn’t Have To Reinvent the Wheel to Fund Low-Income Communities
- Wall Street Journal: EPA Launches Green Bank for Climate Funding in Low-Income Areas
- EcoWurd Interview with Lenwood V. Long, Sr.
- RMI Feature: A Multi-Billion Dollar EPA Fund Is Delivering the Energy Transition to Overlooked Communities
- Triangle Business Journal: Justice Climate Fund
- How Lenwood V Long Is Helping to Promote Sustainability and Climate Justice
- Washington Post: One year in, climate law tests Biden’s environmental justice pledge
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Join the Movement
Join the Movement. If you are interested in learning more, about how you can join the work of the Justice Climate Fund, click here.
For more information, contact [email protected].