Environment & Climate:
Meeting the Moment on Climate
The year 2025 presented formidable challenges to climate action and environmental justice. Yet the Alliance recognizes that environment and climate (E&C) work is a necessary component of sustainable economic development. Without clean air, clean water, and healthy food, our communities cannot thrive. Without resilience to worsening wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, borrowers cannot reliably repay loans, and the small businesses and homes that anchor our neighborhoods remain at risk.
A Year of Building Capacity and Momentum
In 2025, the Alliance welcomed Trevor Thompson, MEM, MBA, as Director of Environment & Climate. Under Trevor’s leadership, the E&C team partnered with Alliance staff to meet members where they were. Providing the tools, knowledge, and connections needed to navigate shifting federal policy, deepen their understanding of
climate risk, and unlock new pathways for green lending.
Major Accomplishments
The E&C initiative delivered for members across three strategic priorities:
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Educating and equipping members. Through pre-conference programming and year-round education, the department deepened members’ green lending expertise, framing climate action as a civil rights issue and emphasizing
adaptation, resilience, and protection against escalating threats alongside clean energy. -
Connecting members to capital. The Alliance opened doors to alternative funding by introducing members to green banks, co-lenders, and missionaligned impact investors committed to community-centered climate finance.
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Responding to policy headwinds. When H.R.1, “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” reshaped the federal clean energy landscape, the Alliance moved quickly to help members understand how to safe harbor projects and capture the value of expiring clean energy tax credits before key deadlines.
Looking Ahead
In 2026, E&C will continue surfacing climate finance opportunities, cultivating strategic partnerships, and equipping
members to navigate an evolving policy landscape. Education efforts will deepen around climate adaptation and
resilience, with a sharper focus on regional impacts and locally responsive solutions. Looking further ahead, E&C
is exploring how CDFIs can lead the way in “clean community development”—an approach that centers clean air,
clean water, and healthy homes as foundational to thriving communities.
"
[the] pre-conference climate lending summit … was outstanding—inspirational and informational. One of the key things that I took away was this expanding of what we defined as ‘climate-related’ that can include disaster relief, and some other components.
"
Tate Hill,
President & CEO of Access Plus Capital