Special to La Prensa

Former president of Costa Rica and current president of global nonprofit the Carbon War Room, Jose Maria Fig-ueres addressed the Clean Energy San Diego event put on by Ygrene Energy Fund, a leading provider of clean energy finance programs for local governments.

Together with local businesses and community leaders, Figueres shared leading market-driven strategies from around the world that will create thousands of local jobs and inject millions of dollars into San Diego’s economy.

A partner of the Carbon War Room, Ygrene brings together local governments, building owners, contractors and financial institutions to facilitate building energy retrofits in California and nationwide through a mechanism that President Obama has argued is “one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest ways” to save money and reduce pollution. The impacts are tremendous: every $100 million spent on energy upgrades in San Diego is projected to create 1,500 jobs, generate $250 million in economic stimulus and drive $25 million in local tax revenue.

Following opening remarks, Figueres was joined by local leaders representing the vision of San Diego’s clean energy initiatives, including the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Green Building Council and Cleantech San Diego.

About Ygrene Energy Fund

Ygrene Energy Fund is the leading developer and administrator of clean energy finance programs throughout the US. In partnership with the PACE Commercial Consortium, Y-grene has unlocked $550 million of private funding for affordable, immediately accessible financing for commercial and residential energy upgrades at no upfront costs. Over the next five years, Ygrene-funded renewable energy and efficiency programs are projected to bring tens of thousands local jobs, millions invested in local businesses, and massive reductions in greenhouse gases.

About the Carbon War Room

The Carbon War Room harnesses the power of entrepreneurs to unlock gigaton-scale, market-driven solutions to climate change. Over 50% of the climate change challenge can be addressed today — and profitably — under existing policy and technology conditions. We seek to facilitate a better flow of capital to entrepreneurial solutions that make economic sense right now.

For more information visit the Carbon War Room at http://www.carbonwarroom.com/