Milltrust International Group (Milltrust) has launched The Climate Impact Asia Fund in collaboration with Environmental Investment Services Asia Limited (EISAL) and WWF-Hong Kong (WWF-HK).The Asia-Pacific region is responsible for almost half of global carbon dioxide emissions, and is the region most exposed to climate risks. The region houses significant opportunity to invest in world leading companies working on climate impact solutions.
The fund, targeting a size of USD500 million, invests in the leading Asian-listed companies making a positive impact against climate change. These are companies focused on delivering sustainable long-term returns and which provide a positive impact against climate change through specific solutions including but not limited to renewable energy, environmental services, water treatment and distribution, low-carbon transportation and energy management services.
In addition to its objective of maximising shareholder returns, and to further its environmental mandate, the fund also makes revenue-based donations to support WWF-HK’s local and Asian Regional conservation programmes. These programmes are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and have a particular focus on SDGs 14 and 15, namely Life Below Water and Life on Land.
WWF-HK serves as the environmental consultant to the fund and is a key member of the Investment Advisory Committee, monitoring the fund’s climate objectives, providing environmental expertise and deep knowledge on climate policies, and providing access to a global network of contacts from academia, industry, government, and civil society to enhance the fund’s impact.
Alexander Kalis, Managing Partner at Milltrust and Investment Advisor to the Fund, says: “Time is running out for urgent climate action. It is imperative to mobilise the investment world to take action to solve our climate emergency. We are thrilled to partner with the environmental investment specialists at EISAL and to benefit from the active collaboration with WWF-Hong Kong on The Climate Impact Asia Fund. The fund will give professional investors around the world the opportunity to invest and make a difference.”
Jeremy Higgs, Managing Director at EISAL and Investment Manager to the Fund, says: “Through our long experience managing environmental investments in Asia, there has never been a better time to find market-leading and innovative companies that can not only deliver strong performance but also make a real impact against climate change and other environmental issues. Through our De-carbon Asia Impact Investing Index, we have proven that a portfolio of low-carbon environmental goods and services companies can deliver superior performance. We are excited about the strong partnership established with Milltrust and look forward to collaborating with the Environmental Finance Team at WWF-Hong Kong for this initiative.”
Jean-Marc Champagne, Head of Environmental Finance at WWF-HK, says: “Our mission is to encourage financial flows into investments that make a positive impact on the environment. We are delighted to collaborate with Milltrust and EISAL on this important initiative, and we look forward to supporting the fund’s efforts to address climate and biodiversity issues.”
