Author: Lexi Herndon (Page 5 of 6)

SOG Environmental Finance Ctr

In the News: D.C. Water Considers First-Ever Century Bond by a Public Utility

July 10, 2014 /

DC-tunnel-infrastructure-waterThis post originally appeared on June 20, 2014 in GOVERNING Magazine Online.

Written by Liz Farmer

If Washington, D.C. is undertaking a project that will benefit – at minimum – the next three generations, then why make just one generation pay for it?

That question is the impetus for what would be a highly unusual move as D.C. Water and Sewer Authority contemplates offering a century bond this summer to help finance a major infrastructure project already underway. Century bonds, which are paid off over 100 years, are rare in the private sector and are mostly issued by colleges and universities. But it’s unheard of for a public utility to issue such a bond. Continue reading

You’re Invited: The Future of Environmental Finance Public Forum

April 10, 2014 /

The Future of Environmental Finance: Strategies for Financing Current and Future Environmental Challenges

May 5th, 1:30-4:30pm in Chapel Hill, NC

Free and Open to the Public. Live Web Streaming Available.

Find More Information and Register Here

Who Pays? With What Money? 

The costs of environmental services, programs, and infrastructure continue to rise. At the same time, the individuals, communities, and governments tasked with paying for environmental protection are experiencing significant financial challenges. Whether a billion dollar effort to restore a region’s polluted water supply, a $4,000 project to weatherize a financially disadvantaged family’s home, or a program to replace a small town’s 50-year-old water treatment plant, all environmental initiatives share a common challenge: who will pay and and with what money? Without implementing fair and sustainable solutions to these environmental finance questions, the most brilliantly conceived environmental technology or program will likely fall short of achieving its goals.

Promising Strategies  

This public forum will feature engaging presentations from prominent environmental finance experts and innovators from a variety of perspectives that cut across sectors and issues. This event will foster discussion and identify emerging trends, strategies, and ideas that will help answer the basic “how will we pay” questions at the heart of successful environmental protection.

Continue reading

Financing Urban Agriculture: a Growing Field of Possibilities

March 28, 2014 /

Urban AgricultureBy Emily Kosmala

As a student working under the Wetland Finance program at the Environmental Finance Center at UNC Chapel Hill, I spend most of my time exploring options for financing wetland protection. I’ve been studying new and creative ways to account for the value of the ecological processes that wetlands provide, including carbon exchange, natural filtration, and purification. While I’ve spent hours researching and crafting spreadsheets, I’ve learned the importance of ensuring sustainable revenue streams for environmental initiatives. I believe that this strategy is also beneficial to locally-based agriculture in rural and urban settings.
Continue reading

Sustainable Investment Options for Colleges and Universities

January 28, 2014 /

Seedling

By Mary Sketch.

Mary Sketch is a junior at Brown University concentrating in Environmental Studies with a focus in Law and Policy. She is a North Carolina native and has worked with the EFC as an undergraduate intern for the past three months.

The Environmental Finance Center generally analyzes and looks into various environmental fees particularly within governmental units, for example analysis of water rates and fees and solid waste fees and expenses. However, my work with the EFC has focused on researching examples of environmentally and socially responsible investing at colleges and universities around the country. Continue reading

A New Environmental Education Framework: The Need for Financial Literacy

January 21, 2014 /

Lexi Herndon is the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator at the Environmental Finance Center at UNC Chapel Hill.

Environmental education (EE) is a big fish these days. Programs are flourishing across the country, large and small, public and private, for the young and the old, and on almost every environmental issue we face. Why has environmental education become so big? According to the EPA, EE “provides the public with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and take responsible action.” The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) explains that EE leads to environmentally literate citizens who know what they need to do to keep the environment healthy and sustain its resources. While the growth of EE has certainly led to significant progress towards this goal, from our perspective at the Environmental Finance Center, something is still missing: environmental finance education. Continue reading

« Older posts Newer posts »

Knapp-Sanders Building Campus Box 3330, UNC Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3330 T: 919 966 5381 | F: 919 962 065

Accessibility: Report a Digital Access Issue

© 2024 Environmental Finance Blog

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑