Rockefeller Foundation Launches New Climate and Resilience Initiative
ROTTERDAM, July 8, 2019 – The Rockefeller Foundation today announced a new Climate and Resilience initiative, which will focus on market-changing opportunities that increase climate and resilience capital flows into solutions and projects that improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people. The initiative will be led by Elizabeth Yee, Managing Director, who joins the Rockefeller Foundation from 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) after serving as the organization’s Vice President of Resilience Finance.
The first commitment of this initiative is an initial $8 million to continue supporting the work of Chief Resilience Officers (CROs) and member cities within the 100RC Network. The existing 100RC organization will conclude in July, and this funding will enable a new project to continue supporting the implementation of resilience initiatives incubated through the work of 100RC. At the conclusion of its six years of successful work, 100 Resilient Cities will have launched more than 80 Resilience Strategies, more than 4,000 actions and initiatives, and leveraged $25 billion in external funding to implement those efforts. The Rockefeller Foundation will continue collaborating with this global Network of cities, CROs, and a small group of former 100RC senior staff to plan these efforts, and has committed to a partnership for the next five years.
“The Rockefeller Foundation’s new Climate and Resilience initiative will help strengthen communities around the globe to be more resilient to the urgent crises facing humanity,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President, The Rockefeller Foundation. “I am thrilled Liz Yee has joined the Foundation to lead this important work, given her deep experience in climate finance, and immeasurable contributions while at 100 Resilient Cities.”
Dr. Shah continued, “Given The Rockefeller Foundation’s longstanding leadership in developing the field of resilience to help cities prepare for and thrive amid physical, social and economic uncertainties, we chose to define a pathway that elevated the work of the network of city practitioners and leaders focused on global urban resilience. Ultimately, we aim to ensure continued collaboration and sharing among cities to address some of their most pressing challenges...