Guernsey's 'pioneering work' in the sustainable finance sector has made it the jurisdiction of choice once again for Gresham House, with the specialist alternative asset manager launching its second sustainable infrastructure fund in the island.
Gresham House British Sustainable Infrastructure Fund II LP (BSIF II) has secured a £100 million first close and has a target fund size of £500 million. It is a continuation of the first BSIF infrastructure fund and seeks to invest in sustainable infrastructure solutions that directly address key environmental and societal challenges.
Managed by Gresham House's dedicated Sustainable Infrastructure team, it will invest in six target sub-sectors where innovative, new infrastructure may best deliver financial and social returns, including; decarbonisation, digital inclusion, health and education, regeneration, resource efficiency and waste solutions. The overall investment approach and anticipated outcomes aim to be well aligned to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
Peter Bachmann, Managing Director of Sustainable Infrastructure at Gresham House, said Guernsey was a continued jurisdiction of choice because its views aligned with those of the asset manager's.
"These funds are an important part of Gresham House's overall sustainable investment focus, and our investment portfolio now contains 11 growing platforms, creating impact via new business models such as vertical farming, low carbon pellets that replace coal and biodiversity habitat bank creation," he said. "Guernsey's work in the sustainable finance sector is pioneering and we are pleased to work in a jurisdiction that adheres to similar values as us."
Carey Olsen's Guernsey corporate team advised on the structuring, establishment and regulation of BSIF II as a registered collective investment scheme in Guernsey. JTC is providing administration and accounting services to the fund from its Guernsey office.
Gresham House is a long-standing client of Carey Olsen. Carey Olsen Partner Ben Morgan said: "We are pleased that Guernsey continues to be a jurisdiction of choice for well-known fund managers to establish sustainability-related investment fund."
Peter Bachmann, Managing Director of Sustainable Infrastructure, Gresham House
Gresham House is a London Stock Exchange listed alternative asset manager with more than £6 billion of assets under management and focuses on five areas of alternative investments – forestry, new energy, housing, sustainable infrastructure, and public and private equity. Clients include public and private pension funds, family offices, high net worth individuals, charities and endowments.