Disruption Is Key on the Path to Climate Justice

I recently had the opportunity to attend Confluence Philanthropy’s Climate Solutions Summit in New York. I, along with Clara Lionel Foundation Board Member Tamara Larsen, had an in-depth discussion on a panel titled Poised for Disruption: Catalyzing Markets for Justice.

Now, you may be asking yourself, what does market disruption have to do with justice? The answer is everything. BIPOC communities and island nations are facing countless injustices, including the disproportionate effects of climate change. At the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF), we strongly believe in working with community-based organizations across the United States and Caribbean that have a unique lens on climate change and are advocating for climate justice.

While top philanthropies are giving only 1.3% of their U.S. climate dollars to Black, indigenous, and people-of-color-led environmental justice groups, these groups know best what is necessary to achieve justice in their own communities. At CLF, our grantmaking is to BIPOC-led organizations and rooted in intersectionality. Our climate justice grants are simultaneously addressing access to health, women’s rights, climate preparedness, and more for the most marginalized communities. From a financial management perspective, our core principles of equity and justice show up in everything we do. In fact, we make it a point to look beyond ESG when reviewing the makeup of our investment partners and our entire investment portfolio. Disrupting the world we live in today requires us to think beyond the status quo to resolve systemic issues.

To learn more about our work, donate, and get involved, please visit us at https://claralionelfoundation.org.

By Justine Lucas, Executive Director, Clara Lionel Foundation