Great Lakes Impact Investment Platform projects reducing 5 million tons of carbon, saving nearly 13 million gallons of water

The Great Lakes Impact Investment Platform today announced the environmental performance of its participating sustainability projects across eight US states and two Canadian provinces. Collectively, the projects are reducing 5 million tons of carbon, saving nearly 13 million gallons of water and protecting more than 35,000 acres of forest and farmland.

The Platform features projects in the Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec. These projects aim to create both a financial return for investors as well as environmental improvements. Overall, the Platform features 50 projects representing about US$4.5 billion in economic value.

The Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP) manages the Platform in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, the School for Environment and Sustainability and Center for Digital Asset Finance at the University of Michigan, and Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc.

The Platform aims to position the Great Lakes region as a global destination for investments that boost climate resilience, reduce emissions and create other benefits. The region is rich with opportunity for investors seeking to deploy impact capital. The impacts delivered by Platform projects align with 10 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Platform’s current projects include:

• Green bonds funding renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and watershed protections
• Tree planting projects that store carbon and protect watershed health
• Conservation projects protecting forest and critical wildlife habitat
• Outcomes-based financing structures for innovative land remediation projects.

The environmental performance announced today captures the total environmental performance of participating projects. Projects can report their annual or lifetime performance.

GSGP unites the Governors of eight US states and the Canadian Premiers of Ontario and Quebec. The Governors and Premiers work as equal partners to grow the region’s $6 trillion economy and protect the world’s largest system of surface fresh water.