Billion Dollar Green Challenge

Founding Year: 2011

Staff:

Budget:

Mark Orlowski (Executive Director)

It encourages colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions to invest a combined total of one billion dollars in self-managed revolving funds that finance energy efficiency improvements.” The funds loan money to specific projects, which they repay through an internal account transfer from savings achieved in the institution’s utilities budget. It was launched by the Sustainable Endowments Institute,  in collaboration with 16 partner organizations.

Programs:

  • Green Revolving Investment Tracking System (GRITS) – A web tool that helps institutions manage and analyze project-level energy, financial and carbon data. GRITS provides an intuitive interface to better track performance data from energy efficiency and other resource conservation measures. It also offers access to a Project Library, which includes the name of the institution, description, and detailed performance data for each of the more than 1,000 projects currently being shared.  Subscriptions to GRITS through the Affiliates program are open to any institution, whether or not it has a revolving fund, and allows for those outside the Billion Dollar Green Challenge to access GRITS.  Recordings and material from events and webinars are available on the website, e.g., “Implementation Strategies for Campus Green Revolving Funds”.  At least $114M in revolving funds have been committed to date.

Publications:

  • A small library of guidelines, reports, case studies, etc.
  • News

 

 


No items found

Billion Dollar Green Challenge contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals


  • SDG 1 - No Poverty
    Calls for an end to poverty globally by 2030 and promotes increased access to basic services and social protection.
    View archive
  • SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
    Aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
    View archive
  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well Being
    Aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, by reducing mortality rates and increasing access to equitable health care for men and women.
    View archive
  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
    Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
    View archive
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
    Aims to end gender discrimination in all forms and promote equal opportunity for all women and girls in terms of education, career, and sexual/reproductive rights.
    View archive
  • SDG 6 -Clean Water and Sanitisation
    Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by promoting global access to adequate sanitation and hygiene.
    View archive
  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
    Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by promoting affordable and reliable energy sources.
    View archive
  • SDG 8 -Decent Work and Economic Growth
    Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
    View archive
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
    Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.  
    View archive
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    Aims to achieve economic growth by reducing inequalities regarding social, economic and political opportunities and freedoms.
    View archive
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
    Aims to promote the globalization of sustainable cities and communities in turn providing universal safe and affordable housing.
    View archive
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    Aims to create responsible and sustainable practices involving consumption and production through efficiently using natural resources.
    View archive
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
    Calls to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts through global awareness, education, and integration into government policies.
    View archive
  • SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    Calls to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development and prevent and reduce marine pollution in order to protect ecosystems and achieve healthy oceans.
    View archive
  • SDG 15 - Life on Land
    Aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
    View archive
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
    Aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Calls to reduce all forms of violence and deaths related to violence and to end abuse and exploitation
    View archive
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
    Aims to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development by mobilizing domestic resources in order to provide support for developing countries.
    View archive

Related Content

An initiative that seeks to understand the dynamics of sustainable peace, focusing on communities that have maintained harmony over time. Unlike traditional conflict termination studies, this project explores societies with…

It works to enhance air quality in Asia, ensuring safe breathing conditions for everyone. The campaign’s strategy is to improve national emission policies and regulations. The primary focus is assisting…

It is dedicated to promoting the rights of women and children, with a particular focus on environmental protection, sustainable development, and poverty reduction. WEP has been instrumental in various projects…