Carbon fund shifting capital into carbon reducing community businesses

[Community Development Banking List]

Original message from: clearned1@gmail.com

We are developing a triple bottom line community investment fund in Madison
WI and I have been pondering how to relate to the emergent carbon market on
the scale of a defined region and working with the businesses within it in
shifting carbon funds from polluters over to new offset projects via grants
or investments by issuing certificates.

I see this new project in Japan setting themselves up to do this. It makes
alot of sense to me in a local triple bottom line economic development where
you are a building out a measurement system to facilitate this. Are there
any emergent endeavors underfoot in the U.S. for local offsets?

Carbon Fund Established in Shiga Prefecture to Foster Eco-Social Market
Economy

On April 14, 2009, the Shiga Carbon Fund was established by economic
organizations in Shiga Prefecture in collaboration with the prefecture to
institute a carbon offset mechanism. The objective is to reduce greenhouse
gases, such as carbon dioxide, while improving the economy through
initiatives funded by the endowment from the participating businesses.

The Shiga Carbon Fund is part of the Shiga Eco-Economy Project which was
started in fiscal 2006 by the prefecture, the Shiga Committee for Economic
Development, the Shiga Economic and Industrial Association and other four
economic organizations in an effort to attain a sustainable eco-social
market economy. Upon making a contribution to the Fund, a business receives
a participation certificate. Businesses launching a low-carbon project may
apply for a grant or a official recognition award.

Regards,
Chuck Learned
608 712-2679

[Community Development Banking List]

Original message from: plawrence@enterprisecommunity.org

As part of its Green Communities Initiative, Enterprise Community
Partners recently established a Green Communities Offset Fund.TM The
Fund offers an exciting new way for organizations, individuals and
events to offset their carbon footprint by supporting our efforts to
bring green housing to low-income people.

Here's how it works:

* Enterprise raises charitable contributions to support the
development and rehabilitation of green affordable homes that generate
lower carbon emissions.
* We use those contributions to purchase carbon offsets that we
measure and verify from affordable housing sponsors.
* We provide documentation to show Fund contributors that their
support has helped create green affordable homes and reduce global
warming pollution.

Every dollar of your contribution to the Green Communities Offset Fund
will support the development of healthy, energy-efficient affordable
homes for people in need.

For more details, please see
http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/green/offset/ ('http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/green/offset/')



Peter Lawrence
Enterprise Community Partners



________________________________

From: bounce-3914214-9164282@list.cornell.edu
[mailto:bounce-3914214-9164282@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Chuck
Learned
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:39 AM
To: communitydevelopmentbanking-l@cornell.edu
Subject: Carbon fund shifting capital into carbon reducing community
businesses


We are developing a triple bottom line community investment fund in
Madison WI and I have been pondering how to relate to the emergent
carbon market on the scale of a defined region and working with the
businesses within it in shifting carbon funds from polluters over to new
offset projects via grants or investments by issuing certificates.

I see this new project in Japan setting themselves up to do this. It
makes a lot of sense to me in a local triple bottom line economic
development where you are a building out a measurement system to
facilitate this. Are there any emergent endeavors underfoot in the U.S.
for local offsets?

Carbon Fund Established in Shiga Prefecture to Foster Eco-Social Market
Economy

On April 14, 2009, the Shiga Carbon Fund was established by economic
organizations in Shiga Prefecture in collaboration with the prefecture
to institute a carbon offset mechanism. The objective is to reduce
greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, while improving the economy
through initiatives funded by the endowment from the participating
businesses.

The Shiga Carbon Fund is part of the Shiga Eco-Economy Project which was
started in fiscal 2006 by the prefecture, the Shiga Committee for
Economic Development, the Shiga Economic and Industrial Association and
other four economic organizations in an effort to attain a sustainable
eco-social market economy. Upon making a contribution to the Fund, a
business receives a participation certificate. Businesses launching a
low-carbon project may apply for a grant or a official recognition
award.

Regards,
Chuck Learned
608 712-2679

CDB list instructions http://www.runonthebank.net/cdblist.htm ('http://www.runonthebank.net/cdblist.htm')

[Community Development Banking List]

Original message from: esthertops@gmail.com

Hi there,

This string of emails greatly sparked my interest, as I am studying and
working on community development projects and am an avid environmentalist. I
am a graduate student at Milano for Urban Policy at the New School
University in New York City. I am specializing in Community Development
Finance.

Prior to pursuing this degree I worked for an environmental non profit that
focused in environmental education as well as green design consulting, and
I helped to co-produce a book on green design for the urban environment. My
program at Milano is extremely hands on; I am currently working on a NMTC
mixed use commercial/retail project in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans,
and worked with a CDFI Loan Fund in NYC to help analyze their portfolio to
come up with a policy and financial recommendation for their interest rate
and risk rating system. Through my real estate housing class, I structured
affordable housing deals through many case studies, and can create and
analyze pro formas using LIHTC.

I am excited to contribute and learn from an internship with a CDFI this
summer and/or throughout the Fall. I was wondering if anyone could point me
in the right direction, or knows if the carbon fund or green communities
project has internship opportunities?

Warm Regards,

Esther Toporovsky
M.S. Candidate, Management and Urban Policy
topoe156@newschool.edu
646.359.0395



On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 12:37 PM, Lawrence, Peter <
plawrence@enterprisecommunity.org> wrote:

As part of its Green Communities Initiative, Enterprise Community
Partners recently established a Green Communities Offset Fund.TM The Fund offers
an exciting new way for organizations, individuals and events to offset
their carbon footprint by supporting our efforts to bring green housing to
low-income people.

Here’s how it works:

- Enterprise raises charitable contributions to support the development
and rehabilitation of green affordable homes that generate lower carbon
emissions.
- We use those contributions to purchase carbon offsets that we measure
and verify from affordable housing sponsors.
- We provide documentation to show Fund contributors that their support
has helped create green affordable homes and reduce global warming
pollution.

Every dollar of your contribution to the Green Communities Offset Fund will
support the development of healthy, energy-efficient affordable homes for
people in need.

For more details, please see
http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/green/offset/ ('http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/green/offset/')



*Peter Lawrence
*Enterprise Community Partners


------------------------------

*From:* bounce-3914214-9164282@list.cornell.edu [mailto:
bounce-3914214-9164282@list.cornell.edu] *On Behalf Of *Chuck Learned
*Sent:* Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:39 AM
*To:* communitydevelopmentbanking-l@cornell.edu
*Subject:* Carbon fund shifting capital into carbon reducing community
businesses


We are developing a triple bottom line community investment fund in Madison
WI and I have been pondering how to relate to the emergent carbon market on
the scale of a defined region and working with the businesses within it in
shifting carbon funds from polluters over to new offset projects via grants
or investments by issuing certificates.

I see this new project in Japan setting themselves up to do this. It makes
a lot of sense to me in a local triple bottom line economic development
where you are a building out a measurement system to facilitate this. Are
there any emergent endeavors underfoot in the U.S. for local offsets?

Carbon Fund Established in Shiga Prefecture to Foster Eco-Social Market
Economy

On April 14, 2009, the Shiga Carbon Fund was established by economic
organizations in Shiga Prefecture in collaboration with the prefecture to
institute a carbon offset mechanism. The objective is to reduce greenhouse
gases, such as carbon dioxide, while improving the economy through
initiatives funded by the endowment from the participating businesses.

The Shiga Carbon Fund is part of the Shiga Eco-Economy Project which was
started in fiscal 2006 by the prefecture, the Shiga Committee for Economic
Development, the Shiga Economic and Industrial Association and other four
economic organizations in an effort to attain a sustainable eco-social
market economy. Upon making a contribution to the Fund, a business receives
a participation certificate. Businesses launching a low-carbon project may
apply for a grant or a official recognition award.

Regards,
Chuck Learned
608 712-2679

CDB list instructions http://www.runonthebank.net/cdblist.htm ('http://www.runonthebank.net/cdblist.htm')

CDB list instructions http://www.runonthebank.net/cdblist.htm ('http://www.runonthebank.net/cdblist.htm')