Green Microfinance (GMf™) exists because of the growing need, ecological impacts, and opportunity to improve the environmental performance of microenterprises globally. GMf™ builds environmental management capacity of microfinance institutions, promotes appropriate donor policy, provides environmental education for businesses, and finances solar and small-scale renewable energy systems.

The International Year of Microcredit 2005 is an opportune time to meet the UN Millennium Development Goal – "to ensure environmental sustainability". Through microcredit we can integrate the principles of sustainable development into all lending policies and programs. We need to ensure all microfinance institutions help reverse the loss of environmental resources.

Wangari Maathai writes, "We cannot alleviate poverty unless we find a way to use our natural resources sustainably. When people are poor they will not think about the long-term consequences of their actions on a forest, a stream, a field or a species. Once that resource is degraded or lost, the poor will get that much poorer. I am working to make sure we don't only protect the environment, we also improve governance."

--Elizabeth Israel, President, Green Microfinance, LLC

Green Microfinance, LLC (GMf)
Takoma Park, Maryland, USA
info@greenmicrofinance.org
http://www.greenmicrofinance.org