Private equity firm Bregal Investments has launched a EUR40 million Bregal Sustainable Development Fund (SD Fund), as part of its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy.
The SD Fund will provide attractive financing to existing portfolio companies across the Bregal platform, focusing exclusively on ESG improvement projects. The SD Fund was launched in Q2 of 2018.
Quentin van Doosselaere and Steven Black, Co-CEOs of Bregal Investments, says: “This is an important milestone for our firm, as we’ve just published our first Responsible Investment Report which underscores our commitment to ESG and shows our ESG approach across the Bregal platform. The launch of the Bregal Sustainable Development Fund, which is to our knowledge unique in the private equity industry, shows our commitment to responsible investment, something that is embedded in our investment approach.”
The SD Fund can be accessed by portfolio companies of funds on the Bregal platform to obtain loans on attractive terms to invest in ESG-related projects, including those relating to renewable energy, energy efficiency, supply chain improvements, emissions and waste, and ecosystem impact.
Through the funding of these projects, Bregal portfolio companies will be able to improve their respective sustainability performance on ESG aspects either within the portfolio company or at other stages in its supply chain.
Coinciding with the launch of the SD Fund is the publication of Bregal Investments’ first Responsible Investment Report, which outlines the firm’s commitment to responsible investment, the ESG approach through which we support our portfolio companies to improve ESG performance and examples of how all Bregal funds collaborate with their portfolio companies on ESG related initiatives.
Alvar de Wolff, Director of Corporate & Social Responsibility, says: “As our Responsible Investment Report showcases we have a breadth and depth of ESG initiatives. The SD Fund, a meaningful commitment to ESG from our investors, further enables all Bregal funds to create long-term financial value by investing in tangible ESG improvement initiatives of portfolio companies.”
As part of the firm’s commitment to responsible investment, Bregal Investments, on behalf of all Bregal funds, became a signatory to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) in September 2017.
