This is exciting.

The Great Lakes Impact Investment Platform was recently launched by the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers as a way to promote “environmentally sustainable economic growth in the Great Lakes states and provinces.”

The Platform is a way to showcase public and private projects that encourage environmental sustainability in tandem with economic growth. The Canada-U.S. cross-border platform is the first of its kind, and can create benefits not just for investors and participants, but also for residents of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence region.

The Platform has three themes – forestry, smart water systems, and agriculture – and specific environmental and social goals, including:

• a 20% reduction of nutrient inputs into sensitive watersheds,
• a 20% improvement in energy efficiency for water utilities, and
• a 10 to 15% reduction in emissions resulting from a combination of less energy use, sustainable forestry, and better nutrient management.

Multiple projects are already financed under the Platform, including the Wilderness Lake Reserve and Big Trout Bay, and one – Iroquois Valley’s Rock Creek and Rock Creek North farms – is already under development.

The team behind the Platform include the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers, The Nature Conservancy, Smart Infrastructure, Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc., and the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability.

Visit the Platform’s website to learn more about this fascinating  venture.

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