Many climate solutions cost a lot up front. It can be expensive to build a community solar farm or to conduct energy efficiency retrofits on an apartment building. But these projects can also make – or save – even more money in the long run, so they can be valuable investments.
Franz Hochstrasser is CEO and co-founder of an online platform called Raise Green. It connects community-driven, climate-focused projects with people who want to invest in them.
“With Raise Green … we provide the tools to community leaders and individuals to create climate projects, the platform to get them funded, and the due diligence that investors expect. And we, in doing all of that, make it easy for anyone to invest in climate for as little as $100,” Hochstrasser says.
So far, the site has helped fund a range of projects – from affordable water filters for Guatemalan communities to a solar array at a Vermont school.
Hochstrasser hopes Raise Green will help more people participate in and benefit from the shift to clean energy.
“It’s critical to us that we reach new audiences and build a global movement that accelerates the response to the climate crisis,” he says.
Reporting credit: Stephanie Manuzak/ChavoBart Digital Media