NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Environmentalists are claiming their seats at the impact investing table.

Nearly a dozen wealthy families are announcing today that they have committed to invest a combined $300 million over five years in commercial ventures in the areas of climate, energy, health, food and sustainability.

The commitments were gathered by the CREO Network, a grouping of more than 50 family offices and private foundations, as part of a broader effort to highlight opportunities for investments in ventures that deliver tangible environmental or conservation benefits.

Some of the commitments were first made public at a White House event earlier this summer that focused primarily on social impact, rather than environmental benefits. CREO, which stands for Cleantech, Renewables and Environmental Opportunities, pulled together additional commitments to signal the emergence of commercial-grade opportunities in areas such as wastewater and other infrastructure, wetlands restoration, carbon credits and sustainable agriculture.