Climate Change & Resilience
CDFIs Invest in Sustainability and Climate Change Solutions
Intensifying wildfires. Rising sea levels. Scorching heat, devastating drought, and deadly floods. Everyone everywhere feels effects of our changing planet, and climate change disproportionately hurts low-income, low-wealth communities. Clean energy and other sustainability solutions are expensive and often require financing that’s out of reach for underinvested communities.
CDFIs help mitigate climate catastrophe through financing for people and projects underserved by traditional financial institutions. Many CDFIs finance energy efficiency and weatherization upgrades for older homes, clean energy projects, and sustainable businesses. Increasingly, CDFIs in rural, urban, and Native communities are investing in and helping communities transition to new economic engines, such as transitioning from coal to renewable energy.
More than lenders, CDFIs also offer trainings and coaching to help people learn new jobs skills in clean energy, building a green economy that benefits people and the planet.
CDFIs Drive Climate Change Solutions and Resiliency
CDFIs finance individuals and organizations underserved by traditional finance and can attract additional investment dollars to climate change solutions.
Currently, 55% of OFN’s member CDFIs offer green lending products to support clean energy production and energy efficiency projects.