The Center of Sustainability Solutions builds on Green America’s work over the years, where we’ve brought together industry groups across supply chains to create major shifts in such areas as solar, banking and investing, sustainable agriculture and fair labor. The Center supports Innovation Networks, focused working groups of stakeholders with the objective of making significant, industry-wide system change.

The Climate Safe Lending Network (CSL) is a multi-organization, multi-stakeholder collaborative working to align bank lending with climate safe scenarios. CSL supports lending institutions to collaborate with each other and wider parts of the financial system – including investors, clients, regulators, policy makers, academics and civil society organizations – to align bank lending with climate safe scenarios that contain emissions to a 1.5ºC temperature increase and incorporate strategies for a socially equitable and just transition.

This is a new position on the CSL Network team. Working closely with CSL’s Executive Director and Managing Director, the Policy Director will manage the development and implementation of the Climate Safe Policy Initiative, which aims to inject thought provocation into the debate on financial regulation to reframe the design of the financial system consistent with societal and environmental objectives. This initiative influences financial policies to help meet the network’s goal of aligning bank lending with the Paris Agreement.

Post-pandemic, this position will involve domestic and international travel for Network meetings, conferences and business cultivation meetings, staff training, and other purposes. CSL is a virtual Network – the position may be housed in Washington, DC at the Green America offices, but may also be filled remotely.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Climate Safe Policy Initiative Development & Management

1. Mobilize a powerful and effective multi-stakeholder network co-creating financial policy and regulatory proposals and practices that can help systemically change the banking and finance sector to accelerate decarbonisation and a just transition to a climate-safe world.
2. Lead the development and execution of a strategy for achieving initiative goals as well as develop collaborative structures and processes to support the work of this initiative, such as working groups and task forces.
3. Engage financial regulators, policy makers, bankers, bank clients, and other stakeholders in the work of this initiative, which includes influencing the enactment of financial regulations and policies that address the real impacts of finance on climate, co-creating effective channels for dialogue and constructive debate on taking bolder climate action. This may also include work on primary market policy in conjunction with financial stakeholders to help drive climate solution markets and optimize flows of green finance.
4. Lead the design, planning, and organizing of meetings and events to advance the work of this initiative as well as facilitate meetings alongside CSL staff.
5. Oversee and support collaborative efforts undertaken by initiative participants, which could include preparing sign-on letters, drafting financial policy proposals, and/or coordinating political debates at the domestic and regional levels.
6. Monitor the progress of this initiative according to established goals and benchmarks.
7. Identify and act on opportunities to support the development and growth of this initiative in collaboration with the CSL staff team.
8. Coordinate with the leads of other CSL initiatives, including the Climate Safe Learning Lab and Climate Safe Prosumers & Influencers Initiative, to facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas, sharing of best practices and lessons learned, and engagement of members across the network.
9. Contribute to the design, planning and execution of Climate Safe Lending Network convenings and events.
10. Participate in regular meetings with the CSL staff team and network leadership body.

Writing & Communications

1. Prepare policy-related news articles, op-eds, blog posts, and reports as part of enhancing CSL’s reputation as a sustainable finance thought leader.
2. Stimulate dialogue on topics pertaining to climate safe policies and regulations in online forums, such as CSL’s LinkedIn group and network member discussion portal.
3. Coordinate with the Program Manager on sharing information about the Climate Safe Policy Initiative through CSL’s monthly newsletters, social media posts, and website.

Fundraising, Budget Management & Funder Reporting

1. Prepare and manage a detailed Climate Safe Policy Initiative budget.
2. Participate in securing funding for the Climate Safe Policy Initiative and Climate Safe Lending Network, which includes helping to identify and cultiate funders and contributing to the development of grant applications and other fundraising materials.
3. Participate in donor stewardship to include tracking the completion of grant deliverables and preparing narrative and financial reports to funders.

Participate in Cross-Departmental Teams

1. Provide operational support to the Center for Sustainability Solutions, as needed.
2. Participate in Center for Sustainability Solutions efforts and ensure the collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas, tools, and resources between teams, as needed.
3. Ensure that knowledge gained is converted into “knowledge capital” for the Center for Sustainability Solutions by documenting work processes involved in managing Innovation Networks and successful strategies used in CSL operations.
4. Participate in Green America staff meetings and processes and other duties as required.
5. Participate in Green America Cross Departmental Teams: The success of our organizational work includes the voluntary participation of staff members from all levels of the organization in cross-departmental teams addressing a range of issues to strengthen our impact and planning, as time and other work commitments allow.