At a time of dangerous backsliding by governments on climate policy, investors play a crucial role in financing our future. Advocates across the globe have called on institutional investors to divest from fossil fuels and to invest in a new energy economy. To date, more than 1,000 institutions with over $8.5 trillion in assets — including foundations, cities, faith groups, insurance companies and sovereign wealth funds — have committed to divest from fossil fuels, marking unprecedented growth and progress for an exploding global movement.
A coalition of organizations that have led the Divest Invest movement has come together to organize Financing the Future: The Global Divest Invest Summit this 10-11 September at the iconic Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. Led by the Wallace Global Fund, 350.org and Green Faith, Financing the Future will be the world’s first Divest Invest conference in the Global South. The conference is supported by a Host Committee that includes Christiana Figueres, Nnimmo Bassey, Mary Robinson, Kumi Naidoo and Bill McKibben.
The 3 objectives of the conference are:
- To build momentum for the Divest Invest movement by convening mission-based investors — including foundations, faith groups, and universities — for an interactive program that provides tools and resources to align capital with climate goals.
- To showcase and build the movement’s increasing foothold in the Global South, underscoring the urgent need for investments that help developing nations leapfrog dirty development and provide clean energy access.
- To provide a platform for new Divest Invest announcements and for the release of a high-level statement from movement leaders challenging the global community to leave fossil fuels in the ground.
Philanthropy has a unique opportunity to support the clean energy transition with both its grants and investments. Nearly 200 foundations around the world have already pledged to Divest Invest, a commitment which won them the 2016 Nelson Mandela-Graca Machel Award for Brave Philanthropy.
We would be delighted to host you in Cape Town this September. Please reach out to Wendy De La Harpe to learn more: [email protected].
Register to attend the conference here: https://financingthefuture.global/register/
