0/ Thread: Catalyzing climate fintech -- The multi-trillion $ challenge with no time to waste

A quick thread and some ideas (should have asked @CharleyMa or @mengxilu to help me with this...)

1/ Spent some time over the holidays searching around for climate fintech (climate action meets open finance) resources. A few preliminary finds and takeaways.

Please drop a note, send up a flare, comment below if you’re involved or want to be.

2/ Point #1: This is going to take time. Multiple phases need to be co-sequenced but the impact / opportunity is massive.

The ‘rules of the game’ (TCFD, SASB, emissions trading specs, etc.) are still being defined. There’s a bit of a wait-and-see dilemma for entrepreneurs.

3/ Not dissimilar from when PSD2 and other open banking / finance regulations started taking fuller form, innovators felt derisked and started diving in headfirst.

How can we pull more builders into climate fintech sooner as standards continue to crystallize?

4/ Point #2: The market needs more proactive guidance from key stakeholders; iteration time is limited.

There’s a ton to build in climate fintech across dozens of use cases but it’s still difficult to understand key pain points and current technical, business, policy gaps.

5/ What’s nice vs. need to have? What's the right sequencing? Which components unlock others?

@UNDFTaskForce and others are defining the opportunity set but we need more coordinated input from prospective ‘customers’ (corporates, asset managers, IGOs).

https://bit.ly/3ryjL3P 

6/ Point #3: A more cohesive, visible sustainability community within fintech is instrumental. Offline + online Schelling points are not yet defined.

7/ The fintech ecosystem has come together strongly for inclusion; how do we take our learnings and momentum from there and expand them to climate action ( #fintechequalitycoalition, @NYCFintechWomen)?

8/ Unlike with 'traditional' fintech there are no centers of gravity yet for the climate fintech ecosystem (Silicon Valley, London, Singapore; @fintechtoday_, @Cambrian_HQ).

There are good subchannels in a few spots ( @mcj, @NewEnergyNexus) but more community organizing is vital.

9/ Point #4: Fintechs in the vanguard can pull others forward.

@Stripe, @Shopify, and many others are already doing their part. How do we catalyze a cross-industry collaborative effort to work together more closely?

10/ How do we open source sustainability best practices and projects that are already working to get 100 more fintechs involved in 2021? cc’ @patrickc @tobi

https://stripe.com/climate 
https://www.shopify.com/about/environment

11/ Point #5: No effort is too small; starting now is what matters (and bringing a few friends).

Climate action is going to be a multi-decadal challenge ***and*** opportunity the fintech community is uniquely positioned to augment and accelerate.

https://bit.ly/3ryjL3P 

12/ My mini first step: including a few climate fintech aggregated resources below. I’m missing a lot so send me anything!

A. Resources: https://airtable.com/shrAikpTjr7KqOuiT
B. Companies: https://airtable.com/shryxRKtLCLHO2zmQ/tbl4U9LVtV8wSOXEI
C. Research: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yuM7zQs21RLRjAoVhEW7w1hLGgxaiIBs
D. Twitter list: https://twitter.com/i/lists/1342160518304423945

13/ Point #6: Many folks are already galvanizing the climate fintech conversation (tagging a few I could find below). There's a bunch more room at the table.

Sensing a potential socially-distanced get together at @money2020 next year year (or at another V-Sum @bpmilne?)

14/ Operators (please add more; v. aware of diversity gap):

@AndreiCherny, @billyparish, @BrianAAlderman, @chranderson, @dsaezgil, @hendrikbartel, @JoshLevin11, @landonbrand, @m_hoffm, @matthieusoule, @msjemmagreen, @orbuch, @RichMatsui, @RichMattison, @RichSorkin, @SamManaberi, @ShaulDavidUK

15/ Investors (who else is investing in climate fintech?):

@albertwenger ( @usv), @jjacobs22 ( @mcjpod), @KushyKush, ( @NewEnergyNexus), @MarkWhitcroft ( @IlluminateFM), @morningdollar ( @commerzventures), @NicoleAnMo ( @TheRedsandGroup), @OctopusVentures

16/ IGOs + non-profits:

@climatefinlab, @FSB_TCFD, @GDFAlliance, @GFI_green, @NGFS_, @SASB, @UNDFTaskForce, @UNEP_FI

17/ FIN(tech) and onwards!

...yeah I’ll have to ask @NikMilanovic or @regulatorynerd how to do this properly next time