Natixis, the French fund manager, has launched a Climate Change Impact Funds-Emerging Markets fund. The 40-50 stock fund will draw on advice from Natixis’ Scientific Committee under Carlos Joly and is based around three macro themes: greenhouse gas reduction, infrastructure adaptation and changing consumer behaviour. Link (French)
IFC, the private finance arm of the World Bank, has begun operations of a €150m carbon fund to promote climate-friendly investments. It has committed €15m to the IFC Post-2012 Carbon Facility as part of its first closing. EnBW Trading, GDF Suez and Mabanaft join anchor investors Mercuria Energy, Shell Trading and IFC for a current fund size of €90 million. The IFC said other participants are expected to join before the final close on June 30.
The more than $1bn Firefighters’ Retirement System of Louisiana is to put $15m into the new Louisiana Stability Fund, which targets cleantech industries in the state. Assets will be transferred from the Orleans Energy fixed income fund and Barrow Handley, according to meeting minutes available here
Danone is firming up its plans for a carbon mutual fund. Bernard Giraud, vice president for sustainability at the French food group, said: “We are ready to launch a larger project and create a fund, which will be a carbon mutual fund with Danone but also with other companies.” Speaking at an investment forum, he cited Danone’s efforts to restore mangroves in Africa and India. “The companies that invest in the projects get back carbon credits that contribute to offsetting their emissions as companies.”
US development finance institution OPIC has adopted the Master Cooperation Agreement of the World Bank’s IFC, making it easier for them to collaborate on investments. “We look forward to … working together in areas such as agribusiness and food security, climate change and renewable energy,” said IFC Chief Executive Lars Thunell.The Environmental Investment Organisation, the not-for-profit researcher, has launched its Environmental Tracking Index Series, which it describes as a hybrid between traditional Socially Responsible Investment indices and mainstream passive index models. The indices follow the launch of the EIO’s carbon rankings earlier this year.
French banking giant BNP Paribas has launched a new corporate philanthropy programme in support of climate change research. Building on its existing support for the Subglacior project, which traces climate history via Antarctic ice cores, the bank’s three-year €3m project will support four extra projects – among them a ‘Global Carbon Atlas’. This will be an online tool showing greenhouse gas flows. Release
The European Investment Bank has said it could start selling 300m European Union carbon permits before the end of the year – if a vote at EU level goes its way this month. The bank will sell the permits on the EU’s emissions trading scheme, in a bid to raise about €5bn to support low-carbon technologies, a report from Reuters stated.
Timberland Investment Resources Europe, the new European arm of US-based Timberland Investment Resources, has launched a Luxembourg-registered forestry fund to invest in timberland in Europe, the US and Latin America, according to reports. The TIR-Europe Global Forestry Fund will target a total return of 8-10% a year, FIN Alternatives said.
CLEAN INVESTOR 2011
Greg Barker, UK Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change will make the keynote address at Responsible Investor’s Clean Investor 2011 conference on June 30 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, in Westminster, London – full details.
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