SWEN allocates ESG Awards to asset management companies

Date: 05 Jul 2023

Ashleigh John

Three asset management companies were awarded for their commitment to ESG at the SWEN Capital Partners’ (SWEN CP) recent ESG Best Practices Honours event.

SWEN CP is a leading player when it comes to sustainable investment in private equity, infrastructure and mezzanine debt, with more than €7.7bn in assets under management and advisory. Its annual event brings together over 450 professionals from the unlisted assets realm and is designed to promote the alliance of science and finance to design concrete solutions for regenerating our ecosystems.

The Infrastructure Prize went to Asper IM, a UK-based asset management company who specialise in financing the energy transition and green energy production. Asper was applauded for implementing a robust and sustainable investment approach, which was demonstrated by the Article 9 classification of its funds, the inclusion of sustainability issues throughout the value chain, and its methodology design for measuring the positive externalities and impact of the firm’s investments.

Thanks to its “strong and tangible commitment” to integrating sustainability factors, the Private Equity Prize was taken by Revaia. Revaia takes a fresh look at technology companies and applies an ESG analysis and rating approach as far upstream as viable. Standing out for the resources it devotes to the topic, the management company also actively supports its portfolio companies in decarbonising their activities.

Finally, the Jury Prize was awarded to Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, with special commendation going to the company’s various investment platforms and strategies which specialise in soil decontamination and reuse of materials (Ginkgo), in addition to financing energy transition and environmental protection (Pearl Infrastructure). The Jury’s special mentions went to Moringa, for their financing strategy of the agro-environmental transition in Africa via the development of agro-forestry plantations and support for family farms, and to Amethis, who specialise in financing and developing SMEs and ETIs in Africa, many of which are family run.

The winners were determined by a jury comprising of over a dozen French and international experts, who drew on over 10 years’ worth of ESG data collection by SWEN CP. This year’s questionnaires were updated to include the indicators required by European regulations, such as SFDR, Article 29 of the Energy-Climate Act, and more.

The 2023 survey results show that, compared to climate change, attention to biodiversity is still in its infancy and the two issues are not yet being considered as a unit. Of the 144 management companies who responded to the survey, only 12% had an implemented biodiversity strategy, compared to the 51% who said they had a climate strategy in place. 69% of respondents had developed indicators to measure their carbon footprint, compared to only 11% who were able to boast a biodiversity footprint.

Jérôme Delmas, Chief Executive Officer of SWEN CP, commented: “This initiative attests our determination to listen carefully to our ecosystem and to weak signals from the market, in view to helping all our stakeholders move forward. It is vital that we surround ourselves with scientific experts to design with concrete, lasting solutions for truly sustainable finance.”

Isabelle Combarel, SWEN CP Deputy CEO in charge of Development and Sustainable Finance, said: “After more than 10 years of commitment to ESG, we have witnessed a veritable Copernican revolution on the part of non-listed companies. We have now seen a sharp acceleration spanning several campaigns. The current challenge is to harmonise the many approaches to make ESG even more credible in our sector.”

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