From Pipeline to Place: Unlocking Community-Led Climate Investment in Appalachia

Across the impact ecosystem, conversations about climate finance often revisit familiar challenges at the center of SOCAP26: how do we move capital and reduce friction? This session draws on Appalachian Community Capital’s experience with over $300 million in place-led climate, disaster preparedness and economic transition opportunities, and invites reflection on and considerations of other examples in rural and underserved areas in the US Southeast. Despite strong local solutions, projects face structural and systemic barriers accessing capital, surfacing lessons relevant to other regions globally. Participants will leave with new strategies, frameworks, and connections to help move capital more effectively for community resilience.