A Framework for Investing in a Just Transition

What is a Just Transition?

A just transition is the idea that as the world moves from an extractive to a low-carbon regenerative economy, the transition must be inclusive and equitable and generate wealth in under-resourced communities that have faced systemic barriers to access to capital and opportunities to build wealth.

We believe investors can play a critical role in integrating just transition principles into the investment decisions that empower the clean energy transition.

A Framework for Investing in a Just Transition: Report Highlights

The report begins by detailing why we believe a Just Transition Framework is necessary, including disparities in health outcomes and disproportionate impact of environmental pollution and climate change on people of color, indigenous peoples, low-income communities, women, and coastal communities in the United States and globally. It also:

• defines a Just Transition in context of the climate justice, environmental justice, and energy justice movements that inform Veris’ Just Transition investment lens,
• presents Veris’ Just Transition Investment Framework to identify investable solutions that focus on under-resourced communities,
• offers case studies of specific investment vehicles in private and public markets that we believe are enabling capital to flow to solutions that address climate justice, environmental justice, and energy justice,
• shares interviews highlighting two institutions that have taken a leadership role in supporting a Just Transition – Heading for Change and Croatan Institute, and
• explores potential policy changes that we believe are necessary to support a Just Transition.