Johan Lopez: Creating positive change through sustainable financing

Johan Lopez: Creating positive change through sustainable financing

Johan Lopez will graduate in August with an MA in the Climate and Society Program. He plans to use sustainable finance to facilitate investments that are good for people and the planet.

john lopezThe goal is to make the world a better place. His tool of choice: finance.a graduating Climate and Society Master’s Program At the Columbia Climate Institute, Lopez has worked full-time as director of partnerships and capacity building at the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing.

Lopez always knew he wanted to help people, but he wasn’t always sure what approach to take. He considered becoming a doctor, but after doing volunteer work in Mozambique, he turned his attention to policy.

“In Mozambique, working with local communities, I have seen firsthand the effects of climate: how farmers are affected by droughts and floods, and how the global South experiences the consequences of climate change,” Lopez said. He hopes policies will give him the opportunity to make a global impact.

After graduating from university, he was hired by the Inter-American Development Bank as a project assistant, responsible for administrative work. But over time, “I started getting more and more involved in green finance projects,” he said. With the help of a mentor who guided him through the world of sustainable finance, Lopez was able to climb to the position of project manager.

“That’s what I see the impact that financial institutions, banks and organizations can have in fighting climate change,” he said.The global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is expected to need trillions of dollars investment. While some funding will come from the government, Lopez noted that it will also require private investment. This is one way banks can play a role in promoting systemic change – investing in projects that not only make money, but also help people and the environment.

Lopez came climate and society program in Columbia Climate School Because he wanted to strengthen his scientific background to advance his career.

“I want to be able to read the IPCC report and see what’s going on,” he said. “I’m not planning to be a climate scientist, but I think it’s important for us to have a well-rounded profile when working in this field.”

Returning to a physics class after 10 years out of school was a challenge, Lopez said, but it was very rewarding. Now, he feels more confident talking to scientists and supporting policy with data.

“I think that’s also an important part of our job — understanding how to bridge these two worlds that don’t necessarily talk to each other,” he said.

Lopez was born in Colombia, but his family immigrated to the United States when he was a teenager. In this way, working in sustainable finance is very personal to him. Although he grew up in Colombia’s second-largest city, he has seen climate impacts first-hand, with coffee farmers hurt by too much or not enough rain, or when the village where he spent the summer was washed away by high tides.

“I think seeing first-hand the need to mobilize money for development gives me a desire to make sure we’re working and moving in the right direction,” Lopez said.

During the climate and society project, Lopez not only had to contend with a rigorous course load, but also Columbia Center for Sustainable Investing And serves as a consultant to the United Nations Environmental Finance Initiative. There, he coordinated the agency’s work across the Americas, working directly with banks, insurers and other stakeholders to implement climate solutions and sustainability best practices.

With classes wrapping up in May, Lopez can now focus on his Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing. This work will also serve as his summer “internship,” the last checkbox on his Climate and Society program when he formally completes it in August.

“This is the career I’ve always dreamed of when I was thinking about how to mobilize private investment for the environment,” Lopez said.

Not only is he happy to have had a positive impact, but he is excited to be part of a global transformation like the world has never seen before.

“Working in finance, we have the opportunity to rewrite history and build systems that are better for people and the environment,” he said. “We have an opportunity to build a sustainable and inclusive society.”