Back in 2014, four Indigenous nationalities in the Upper Amazon — the Kofán, Siekopai, Waorani and Siona — banded together to save their common future from environmental degradation and oil dependency. Called the Ceibo Alliance, the initiative, supported by climate funders, installs new solar energy and rainwater harvesting systems while supporting traditional practices and defending the local environment.

The effort soon caught the attention of professional rock climber and climate funder Alex Honnold, regarded as the greatest free solo climber in history. The Honnold Foundation, to which Alex donates a third of his income, supports projects just like this to help bring renewable energy to marginalized communities around the world.

Today, these remote communities in the northeastern rainforests of Ecuador have access to solar energy, supporting the Ceibo Alliance’s ongoing work to improve livelihoods and preserve local ecosystems.

Across the globe in Madagascar, dozens of coastal communities were struggling to preserve the overfished and depleted octopus fisheries they depend on for food and income. Then, a grant from the ocean sustainability nonprofit Blue Ventures allowed them to introduce community-based fishery management practices. Temporary fishing closures enabled octopus stocks to recover, boosting the fisheries’ productivity and increasing future catches.

“I am astonished by the change to over-exploited fisheries since our founding in 2003,” said Gildas Andriamalala, a Madagascar native and Blue Ventures’ regional director for Southern Africa. “Now, at least half of the coast of Madagascar has community-based fisheries management.”

Although they tackle different environmental challenges, climate funders like the Honnold Foundation and Blue Ventures share the same conviction: Local communities should be empowered to envision, design and own investments in a more sustainable future.

“Those who are working and living from fisheries need to be the ones looking after it,” Andriamalala said. “We strongly believe in local stewardship. The community is in the best position to tackle their own problems.”

The Everpure Foundation, the corporate foundation of the data management company Everpure, shares the same aim. It provides grants to nonprofit organizations advancing locally-led solutions in environmental sustainability, workforce development and basic human needs, like Blue Ventures and the Honnold Foundation. Both nonprofits have scaled their efforts to reach more communities with support from the Everpure Foundation.

Read the full article about climate funders supporting local communities by Amy Brown at TriplePundit.