Over the past week, organizations focused on addressing climate change have made significant announcements, including the NDN Collective launch of a $100 million fund to support Indigenous-led frontline organizations and a strategic collaboration between the Energy Transition Accelerator (ETA) and the World Bank to support energy transitions in developing countries.

Through the Indigenous Climate and Just Transition Fund, NDN Collective aims to ensure that Indigenous-led frontline organizations working to combat climate change are prioritized in federal investments such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). To that end, the organization is actively seeking seed money for the fund, which will provide regranting, fund matching, technical assistance, and capacity building assistance.

“Indigenous communities are at the forefront of the just transition toward a more sustainable and equitable future—yet have received a fraction of the billions of philanthropic dollars allocated toward climate and environmental programs over the last three years,” said NDN Collective director of policy and advocacy Jade Begay. “Over $1.7 trillion dollars will be distributed by the federal government through legislation like the IRA and the infrastructure bill—an astounding amount of money that could prove ineffective or even actively harmful if not allocated equitably. By making a significant investment into getting federal dollars into the hands of Indigenous leaders, we will radically shift the trajectory of climate change on this planet.” 

In addition, ETA—a partnership of the U.S. Department of State, the Bezos Earth Fund, and the Rockefeller Foundation—has announced a strategic collaboration with the World Bank’s SCALE (Scaling Climate Action by Lowering Emissions) initiative, which aims to mobilize finance for effective energy transitions, enabling developing countries to be directly rewarded for verified emissions reductions. ETA will provide an innovative crediting methodology and a coalition of private sector participants, while SCALE will provide an avenue for sovereign government buyers, as well as in-country capacity support. Organizations supporting ETA partners in the design effort include the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), and the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ).

“Getting to net zero is possible only if we quickly ramp up investment to help fast-growing economies meet their power needs with clean energy,” said U.S. special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry. “The Energy Transition Accelerator and the World Bank’s SCALE initiative each bring vital tools to this effort. Working together, we can more effectively leverage both public and private finance to accelerate a just transition from dirty to clean power, drive emissions down faster, and help keep a 1.5 [degrees Celsius] limit on warming within reach.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Liam Matter)