abdiel j. lópez: Exploring the Just Transition Investment Framework

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The Just Transition Investment Framework is a comprehensive approach to sustainable investing that seeks to balance economic, social, and environmental goals. It recognizes that the transition to a more sustainable future must be inclusive and equitable to be truly successful. By promoting collaboration, job creation, and community involvement, the framework can help to ensure that the transition to a low-carbon economy is fair and just for all stakeholders.

Joining us today is abdiel j. lópez, the Director of Capital Activation at Justice Funders, to guide us through building a just and regenerative economy. Justice Funders is a philanthropy partner that envisions a world that recognizes the inalienable rights of all and honors the sacredness of natural resources. They assert that philanthropy must redistribute wealth, democratize power, and shift economic control to communities, rejecting traditional charity and investment narratives. Justice Funders seeks to resource movements that fight oppressive systems and create new, local, and resilient economies that build wealth in low-income communities. They are guided by the Just Transition principles and are re-imagining philanthropy's role in creating a world that works for all.

In our conversation, we discuss shifting business practices to the Just Transition Investment Framework and the vital work of Justice Funders. We delve into the concept of community-controlled institutions, the definition of value-aligned business practices, shifting capital and power to build a regenerative economy, challenging traditional approaches to philanthropy, popularising the concept of restorative economics, and much more. Tune in for this fascinating discussion and discover the power of the community with abdiel j. lópez.

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Key Points From This Episode:

•   History of the Just Transition framework and abdiel’s professional career journey. [0:02:40]

•   Why Justice Funders embraces the concept of community-controlled institutions. [0:07:54]

•   Insights into Justice Funders’s approach to running organizations and shifting power. [0:10:30]

•   We unpack the Just Transition Investment Framework and why it is critical. [0:14:24]

•   How Justice Funders plans to extend their footprint and expand their narrative work. [0:19:26]

•   An overview of the main challenges of building a just and regenerative economy. [0:22:51]

•   Highlights from the Justice Funders report. [0:25:41]

•   The work happening in the space that abdiel is most excited about. [0:28:48]

•   Find out how listeners can get involved and help support Justice Funders. [0:31:40]

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Tweetables:

“Hope is not living in the abstract, [but] rather it is living in the present.” — @abdieljlopez [0:07:03]

“Personal healing is just as important as institutional healing.” — @abdieljlopez [0:08:00]

“[Just Transition Investment Framework] is basically a strategy for how to divest from that extractive global stock market and really invest in regenerative economies.” — @abdieljlopez [0:17:03]

“There is a lot of narrative strategy that is involved in all this work, and we are still, I think, in the thick of developing a specific strategy.” — @abdieljlopez [0:22:06]

“When we think about [building regenerative economies] as a tool for liberation, then I think and I hope we can all see how it affects everyone not just those on the frontlines.” — @abdieljlopez [0:29:40]

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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

abdiel j. lópez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdiellopez/

abdiel j. lópez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/abdieljlopez

abdiel j. lópez Email: abdiel@justicefunders.org

Justice Funders: https://justicefunders.org/

‘Shifting Capital and Power To Build the Regenerative Economy’ report: https://justicefunders.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Just-Transition-Investment-Framework-2023.pdf

Center For Cultural Innovation: https://www.cciarts.org/

Sustainable Economies Law Center: https://www.theselc.org/

Kataly Foundation: https://www.katalyfoundation.org/

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