Hartford, CT CGB Green Liberty Notes LLC, a subsidiary of the Connecticut Green Bank, opened its ninth Green Liberty offering. The crowdfunding campaign is entering its third year and is made possible with Raise Green, an online marketplace for impact investing. CT residents and citizens nationwide can begin working toward their sustainability-focused New Year’s resolutions by supporting small business energy efficiency upgrades through this offering to invest in local restaurants, town halls, community organizations, and more. Investments in the Green Liberty offering support Eversource’s Small Business Energy Advantage (SBEA) program, which enables small businesses in CT to reduce their energy costs through efficiency upgrades and zero-interest loans. As a result of the climate benefits associated with the SBEA program, this Green Liberty offering has been reviewed and verified for its environmental attributes by Kestrel.
The Green Bank’s partnership with Amalgamated Bank has deployed $100 million of private capital into the SBEA program.
“As we enter 2024, recent reports have projected the world will cross the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold this decade if we continue to burn fossil fuels at the current rate,” said Bryan Garcia, president and CEO of the Connecticut Green Bank. “Energy efficiency is one significant way to curb carbon emissions and confront climate change. If you’re looking for ways to join the fight this year, a Green Liberty investment is an affordable option that will earn you a competitive return on investment.”
Notes may be purchased through the Raise Green online platform without a broker, with a $100 minimum. The previous Green Liberty offering was the sixth consecutive offer to surpass its maximum limit for raised amount, so interested investors are encouraged to act quickly.
Featuring a low minimum investment, a short term, and easy online purchase, Green Liberty offerings were created to be accessible to nearly anyone who wants to invest. More than 60% of original investments have been $1,000 or less, with buyers from 35 states nationwide, and more than half of the investors have been Connecticut residents.
“We’ve raised over $1.8 million through our first eight offerings and are encouraged by the consistent increase in demand for the notes. This was shown during our last offering, which featured an increased maximum raise limit and exceeded that goal,” said Garcia.
Investors from the fifth round of Green Liberty Notes (now reaching the end of its term) can reinvest their principal and interest in this latest offering. Anyone who invested in the fifth round and invests in this offering, either by reinvesting their principal and interest or by investing a different amount, will receive an interest rate “boost” as a thank-you for their early support of the Green Liberty Notes.