With no upfront costs, this innovative financing tool makes energy efficiency affordable to all

From Nate Berg / ENSIA: North Carolina’s Roanoke Electric Cooperative is helping members bring down energy costs. Because the energy costs in this area is due to a lack of energy efficiency, the cooperative offers tariffed on-billing to help homes offset expenses like insulation and new heat pumps. The tariffed on-billing uses federal loans to pay for said expenses, and then the customer pays the tariff charge in their bill – which ends up being lower because of the energy-efficient upgrades.

Click here to read the original story.

Issue Areas:

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Environment, Poverty Reduction Measures

Impact Areas:

Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Finance

Actors:

Businesses, Government

Communities Served:

Communities Experiencing Economic Hardship, Workers

Strategies:

Easing Economic Burdens for Individuals, Increase Education / Insights Sharing, Utilizing Sustainable or Renewable Resources

Success Factors:

Business With Social Goals, Empowering People, Expanding Access, Meeting People Where They Are At, Overcoming the Big Challenges

Geographic Region:

North America

Countries:

United States

Date:

February 26, 2019

More Resources:

Conversation with Erinch Sahan

Erinch Sahan is the business and enterprise lead at the Doughnut Economics Action Lab. Recently, he was the chief executive of the World Fair Trade Organization and previously spent 7 years at Oxfam leading campaign initiatives and founded Oxfam’s Future...

eToro Launches GoodDollar And Begins Delivering Universal Basic Income

From Lawrence Wintermeyer / Forbes: GoodDollar is a basic income product that works via the public blockchain network. Because blockchain is decentralized and public, this platform could be used globally, non-reliant on any one government. GoodDollar uses G$ coins which...

Can Monthly Cash Payments Make Our Economy More Equitable?

From Sonali Kolhatkar / Yes! Magazine: Guaranteed income programs aim to reduce poverty by providing cash to those in need with no strings attached. One of these programs in New York City, The Bridge Project, focuses on helping women of...

Women Entrepreneurs Are Key To India’s Green Economy

From Deepali Khanna / Forbes: India’s Governmental program MUDRA Yojana sets up small loans to microentrepreneurs. Combined with SEMA (Self-Employed Women’s Association), the aim is to bolster growth of women entrepreneurs, reduce poverty, and increase the number of women entrepreneurs...

4-Day Workweek Boosted Workers’ Productivity By 40%, Microsoft Japan Says

From Bill Chappell / NPR: Microsoft Japan experimented with a 4-day work week over the summer. Employees enjoyed three-day weekends but received normal paychecks. The company reported a 40% boost in productivity. Read the original story here. Read more work-focused...

Why one Ontario town moved to a four-day workweek

From John Michael McGrath / TVO Today: Local government staff members in Zorra can choose to opt-in for longer workdays four days a week in exchange for three-day weekends. The change allows for more flexibility, productivity, and employee satisfaction. Read...