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:

Inside the Nation’s Largest Guaranteed Income Experiment

From Abby Vesoulis, Abigail Abrams / TIME: A guaranteed income program is giving people the financial security to invest in themselves, avoid predatory loans, pay off debt, and improve their general quality of life. The lack of conditions on how...

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...

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...

Car Free Day: Global health leaders join Kigali residents in ‘Africa Walks against Malaria’

From Frank Ntarindwa / The New Times: ‘Kigali’s “Car Free Day” not only boasts an increase in residents’ activity levels, it also creates a space for more knowledge and service sharing for health conditions including Malaria.’ Screenings for non-communicable diseases...

Conversation with Alfredo Jose Brillembourg

Alfredo Jose Brillembourg is the founder of Urban–Think Tank Design Group, with offices in New York, São Paulo, Caracas, Oslo, Geneva, and Cape Town. Through his leadership at Urban–Think Tank, he has spearheaded innovative architecture and urban design projects globally,...

This is what one of the world’s largest experiments in basic income looks like

From Meaghan Tobin and Márvio Dos Anjos / Rest of World: Mumbuca is a digital currency used in Maricà’s basic income program. Residents, with few eligibility requirements, can qualify for a monthly stipend to purchase goods and services using a...