PURPOSE
Vision:
a society where the economy is operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, an environment where all human beings and species thrive.
Mission:
to align financial capital with sustainability goals.
Capital for Sustainability (C4S) is designed to serve as both:
- a market demonstration tool for how the for-profit financial ecosystem can support sustainability.
- a driver for systemic change so that the rules of the economy favor all people and the planet.
THE PROBLEM
Finance for sustainability is flowing at a greater pace than ever before, but it is not flowing fast enough to solve pressing challenges such as the climate crisis.
Only $0.15 out of every $1.00 is mobilized for climate solutions in low-and-middle-income (LMI) countries.
Private climate finance for LMI countries (domestic & cross-border) was a measly $43 billion in 2023.
80% of climate finance for LMI countries is public finance, thus lacking the abundant capital available from private sources (~$450 trillion globally).
LMI countries require about $2.2 trillion in investment per year to support energy transition needs. In 2022, only $544 billion in investment flowed into renewable energy projects in LMI countries.
Globally, $1.1 trillion is needed annually to transition to regenerative agriculture, yet only $28.5 billion is being invested annually. The agrifood investment needs are greatest in LMI countries.
OUR SOLUTION
What
- Revolving philanthropic fund to invest and shape systemic change for sustainability, focusing on climate solutions.
Where
- Focus on low and middle income countries (also known as the Global South and Global Majority).
- Eligible countries throughout Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
Why
- Most of the world’s growth and greenhouse gas emissions are taking place in the Global South.
- LMI economies have on average at least 4% annual growth vs <2% for OECD economies.
Who
- Managing Director, regional leads, analysts, chief of staff.
- Remote team; staff based globally.
How
- Source opportunities
- Convene players
- Invest + Fund
- Influence
- Evolve
Inclusive Lens
- Intentionally inclusive of historically excluded groups in each economy.
- Just transition principles.
OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Trenton Allen
Trenton Allen is the Founder and CEO of Sustainable Capital Advisors (SCA), a climate financial advisory and strategic consulting firm dedicated to connecting capital to sustainable infrastructure solutions. With over $35 billion in transaction experience across utilities, energy, transportation, and public infrastructure, Allen is recognized as a leader in clean energy policy, climate finance, and fostering sustainability and inclusivity. Allen began his career at Public Financial Management, Inc. (PFM), where he developed expertise in financial modeling and restructuring electric utility projects. He later spent over a decade at Citi, pioneering sustainable finance mechanisms such as green bonds and green banks, shaping the U.S. market for these critical tools.
Danielle Deane-Ryan
Danielle Deane-Ryan has worked for over two decades on her passion for integrating environmental justice into climate and energy policies, philanthropic investments and advocacy strategies. She is a Visiting Scholar at The New School’s Tishman Environment and Design Center. Danielle has served in government at the Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. She has directed philanthropic programs at the Bezos Earth Fund, the Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation. Danielle spearheaded the Donors of Color Network’s Climate Funders Justice Pledge Campaign. She was a committee member for the National Academies Accelerating Decarbonization report. Danielle serves on the boards of the Stockholm Environmental Institute U.S. and the Hudson River Foundation, and is a past board member of the Clean Energy States Alliance, the Seventh Generation Social Mission Board and Resource Media. Danielle has an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics in Environment and Development, and a B.A. from Williams College in Political Economy with an Environmental Studies Concentration.
Jared Meyers
Jared Meyers is a hospitality rebel, real estate innovator, and steadfast sustainability advocate. As the lead executive of andCo Hospitality and Salt Palm Development, founding director of Climate First Bank, and co-creator of The For Good Movement, he’s proving business profit and purpose can go hand in hand. His ventures push boundaries, from carbon-neutral resorts to socially responsible real estate developments, while learning him accolades like the Real Leaders and MO100 CEO awards. Through his work connecting global networks and strengthening local communities alike, Jared is all-in on building a future where profit and purpose go hand in hand.
OUR TEAM
Marilyn Waite
Marilyn leads Capital for Sustainability (C4S). She has worked across four continents in renewable and nuclear energy, climate modeling, and investment. Author of Sustainability at Work: careers that make a difference, Marilyn’s writing has been featured in outlets such as the Financial Times, Le Monde, and the Boston Globe. Marilyn previously led the climate finance portfolio at the Hewlett Foundation (and Climate Finance Fund), the energy practice at Village Capital, energy models as a senior research fellow at Project Drawdown, and innovation projects at Orano and Framatome (formerly AREVA). She holds a Master’s Degree with distinction in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, magna cum laude, from Princeton University. She serves on multiple boards and investment committees, including Climate First Bank.
Minahil Amin
Minahil is Chief of Staff at Capital for Sustainability (C4S). Previously, Minahil worked on climate finance at British International Investment. Earlier in her career, she built evidence-based investment strategies and raised capital for portfolios at Leadership Now, developed sustainability strategies and climate solutions at ENGIE Impact, and advised clients across energy, agriculture, and resilience at Dalberg. Minahil holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford, a Master of Public Policy from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.