Jonathan Atkinson’s Post

Excerpt: Green banks are starting to draw attention in the U.S., particularly since the federal government announced its first grant competitions under a national green bank program to bring clean technology and more affordable energy to low-income communities. But installing more solar and wind electricity generation isn’t the only way green banks can help. Massachusetts is launching an innovative new green bank that could become a model as states try to manage two crises at once: lack of affordable housing and climate change. While most green banks focus on clean energy, the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank is specifically designed to boost the state’s stock of sustainable, affordable housing. It comes at an opportune time: States can now tap into billions of dollars in new federal funding for green banks under the Inflation Reduction Act. So what exactly is a green bank, and how might it work for sustainable housing?

Are you a public sector organisation looking to decarbonise? The Scottish Government has announced £20 million in grant funding to help public sector organisations decarbonise their buildings. The fund aims to reduce emissions from public sector buildings by 80% by 2030, and to achieve net zero emissions by 2045. > Who can use the fund? > What heat decarbonisation measures are funded? > Who is administering the scheme? > How can I get started? We've answered these questions in our latest blog 👇 #HeatDecarbonisation #Retrofit #HeatPumps #PublicSector

“…the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board approved the creation of the New Jersey Green Bank(NJGB)…The NJGB will make investments through debt, credit enhancements, and other financial vehicles to attract private capital to enable the state to reach its climate goals. The NJGB will also look to facilitate the development of climate and clean energy capital markets in the state through forms of financial support, such as warehousing and securitization, that address underdeveloped or nonexistent capital markets for these investments." This enactment could give the State of New Jersey a huge boost in supporting renewable energy projects and green collar jobs, via targeted workforce development initiatives. It also bodes wells for developers looking to build in this state, given the pronouncements around bolstering capital market participation and public-private-partnerships. There's clearly a level of sophistication with this approach, in that they are aiming to support warehouse facilities, securitizations, and "credit enhancements" (e.g., letters of credit; surety bonds) and potentially enabling easier pathways toward tax equity partnerships. To many companies, these are not just value-added tools, but lifelines for balance sheets that don't possess sufficient heft to move forward with projects of this nature, independent of external support.

I’m looking forward to attending this 7/20 free event in Charlotte to dig into the IRA further by hearing from national & regional experts and connecting with many new and existing local contacts. I believe registration is still open for anyone interested in attending. “Cities, businesses, schools, and individuals can now contribute to effective climate solutions and benefit from the clean energy economy, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). However, a major barrier to entry, particularly for smaller organizations, is understanding where they fit in and how to get started. To address that need, America Is All In is hitting the road to help communities maximize the benefits of the IRA.” #sustainability #cleanenergy #inflationreductionact #charlotte #charlottenc https://lnkd.in/gE3ZPfRP

The Inflation Reduction Act (#IRA) passed by the U.S. government includes over $370 billion in funding over a decade to encourage the #realestate sector to invest in #cleanenergy and #decarbonization. The IRA offers opportunities for large #tax credits and deductions for projects related to #energyefficiency, #electrification, electric vehicle (#EV) charging, and #renewableenergy. It focuses on tax incentives rather than grants, allowing building owners and stakeholders to stack multiple incentives. These incentives can significantly #reduce project #costs and promote sustainability. Key funding #opportunities include Section #179D, which supports energy efficiency for various building types, Section #45L for energy-efficient single-family #homes, Section 48 for #renewableenergy and energy storage, and Section 30C for alternative #fuel and #EV #infrastructure. By leveraging these incentives and combining them with other financial tools, #realestate projects can lower their costs and achieve quicker returns on investment while contributing to #decarbonization efforts. It's an essential step towards combating #climatechange, reducing emissions, and making real estate more #sustainable. #Decarbonization #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #GreenBuilding #EnergyEfficiency #RealEstate U.S. Green Building Council | C40 Cities | The Real Estate Roundtable | Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action | ASHRAE | SpectrEco | (Urban Land Institute) | (Internal Revenue Service) | Star Energy | The Chicago Building Congress | California Air Resources Board https://lnkd.in/dQHKvNDy

Your Friday feel-goods have arrived! Commonwealth Bank announced it has effectively ruled out any lending to oil and gas projects, including some key infrastructure to new oil and gas fields. As well as this, Commbank has committed to ending funding from 2025 for fossil fuel clients without independently verified plans to cut all emissions – including from the end use of their coal, oil and gas. This move will make it harder for fracking companies to secure Australian finance, welcome news for communities resisting critical projects and for our chances of limiting emissions. We’re banking on this to bring about big changes. Australians in several cities can now request a low-emission vehicle for their Uber ride for the same cost as an UberX service. Drivers on Uber Green are helping move more people in electric cars, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and 100% battery electric vehicles. This news is ride on time! One of the world’s largest investment companies has committed $2 billion to a fund focused on making New Zealand the first country in the world with 100 per cent renewable electricity generation. The NZ Government said private investment for major changes was critical to rapidly increasing renewable energy uptake. Australia, we’d best get our skates on. Real em-power-ing news here. As the United Kingdom continues to expand ultra-low emissions zones across London to improve air quality and lower emissions, the London Mayor has announced £2,000 grants for any Londoner with a non compliant vehicle. While 90% of cars driven in outer London on an average day are already compliant with the low-emissions zone, this funding will help even more Londoners make the switch. Low emissions? High-ly good news. After more than five decades, the last operating units of the Liddell coal-fired power station closed in April this year. The station’s owner, AGL, is Australia’s largest carbon polluter, and Liddell’s closure was slated to reduce the company’s emissions by 17%. So far, the power station's closure has significantly improved the region’s air quality equivalent to taking 110,000 cars off the road. More of this, please. South Australia’s Flinders University now has 10 vehicle-to-grid charging stations, a landmark for Australia. The V2G chargers are designed to play a role in providing back-up and key services to the South Australian grid whenever needed and shows how electric vehicles can be harnessed as “batteries on wheels” to support the state’s wind and solar dominated grid in periods of peak demand. Once again, South Australia is steering towards a greener future.