Wellington Climate Innovation Fund Pioneers New Era of Sustainable Investment

The Wellington Climate Innovation Fund is a game-changer for sustainable investment. It's a pioneering initiative that sets a new standard for environmental responsibility.

Launched in 2020, this fund is designed to support innovative projects that reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable practices. This is a crucial step towards achieving New Zealand's goal of becoming a carbon-neutral country by 2050.

The fund's focus on climate innovation is exactly what's needed to drive meaningful change. By investing in cutting-edge projects, the fund is helping to create a more sustainable future for generations to come.

NZ Super Fund has committed US$100m to the Wellington Climate Innovation Fund, aiming for financial returns and positive environmental impacts. This investment will target energy transformation, transportation, agriculture, and sustainable cities and buildings.

Del Hart, head of external investment and partnerships for NZ Super, highlighted the fund's research-led investment process, which aligns with NZ Super's approach. This process includes partnerships with reputable institutions like the Woodwell Climate Research Centre and the Joint Programme on the Science and Policy of Global Change at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Initially, the fund will focus on generating non-concessionary investment in Series B and C rounds of financing for target companies across North America and Europe.

NZ Super has committed a significant $100m to Wellington's climate innovation fund.

The fund, led by Massachusetts-based Wellington Management, targets energy transformation, transportation, agriculture, and sustainable cities and buildings investment.

Del Hart, head of external investment and partnerships for NZ Super, praised the fund's research-led investment process, which includes partnerships with prestigious institutions like the Woodwell Climate Research Centre.

NZ Super's investment aligns with its approach to generating financial returns while making a positive environmental impact.

The fund will focus on generating non-concessionary investment in Series B and C rounds of financing for target companies primarily in North America and Europe.

NZ Super's investment in the climate fund follows similar investments in other funds, including Fifth Wall Climate Technology Fund and Generation Investment Management's Sustainable Solutions Fund IV.

NZ Super's overall investment portfolio has been shifted to market indices aligned with the Paris Agreement, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint and improve ESG outcomes.

The Wellington Climate Innovation Fund is a significant player in the climate change investment space. It's located in Boston, Massachusetts, and has closed with a substantial US$385 million in commitments.

The Fund's focus is on investing in private companies developing tech-enabled solutions to address climate change. These solutions include energy transition, sustainable buildings and cities, transportation and mobility, industrial automation, enterprise digitization, sustainable consumer, and food and agriculture innovation.

Its client base is impressively diversified, including sovereign wealth funds, pensions, insurance companies, banks, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.

The Wellington Climate Innovation Fund has several key features that make it an attractive investment opportunity.

It focuses on early-stage companies with innovative climate solutions, providing them with the funding they need to grow and scale.

The fund has a strong emphasis on collaboration, partnering with other investors and organizations to support its portfolio companies.

It offers a range of benefits to its investors, including tax incentives and access to a diverse portfolio of climate-focused companies.

Investors can expect a competitive return on investment, with the fund targeting a 10% annual return.

The fund's investment team has a deep understanding of the climate innovation sector, allowing them to make informed investment decisions.

It has a strong track record of success, with several of its portfolio companies already achieving notable milestones.

The Wellington Climate Innovation Fund is a great example of a new era of sustainable investment. It seeks to invest in private companies developing solutions to help mitigate and adapt to climate change.

The fund targets late-venture and early-growth companies that are developing tech-enabled solutions such as software, software-enabled hardware, sensors, AI, data and analytics. These solutions are focused on areas including energy transition, sustainable buildings and cities, transportation and mobility, industrial automation, enterprise digitization, sustainable consumer, and food and agriculture innovation.

The fund is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and has a broad client base that includes sovereign wealth funds, pensions, insurance companies, banks, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. It closed with US$385 million in commitments.

The fund's management team, led by Greg Wasserman and the CIF investment team, has extensive experience investing in climate solutions. They leverage Wellington's broader investment, research, and sustainability capabilities in public and private markets, along with a research collaboration with leading climate change research institute, Woodwell Climate Research Center.

Wellington Management levanta US$ 385 milhões no primeiro fundo de inovação climática. This is a significant investment in the climate innovation space.

The fund, Wellington Climate Innovation Fund, aims to generate attractive returns for investors by investing in late-stage and early-growth companies developing technological solutions in areas such as energy transition, sustainable buildings and cities, transportation and mobility, industrial automation, digitalization, sustainable consumption, and innovation in food and agriculture.

The fund has a diverse base of clients, including sovereign funds, pensions, insurance companies, banks, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals.

As Greg Wasserman, Chief of Private Climate Investments at Wellington Management, said, "The climate crisis is an existential threat to society and affects all sectors of the global economy, making it one of the largest and most necessary investment opportunities we will see in our lives."

The fund is managed by Greg Wasserman and the CIF investment team, including Molly Breiner, Mike DeLucia, and Sean Petersen, who are part of Wellington's expanding private investment platform with $8.5 billion in assets.

The team has extensive experience in climate solution investments and leverages Wellington's broader investment capabilities, research, and sustainability expertise in both public and private markets, as well as its research collaboration with the Woodwell Climate Research Center.