Everbright Belt & Road Green Fund completes fundraising from Everbright Cornerstone LPs
China Everbright Limited announced the launch of the “Everbright Belt & Road Green Fund”. The Fund is led by China Everbright Group, launched and managed by China Everbright Limited. The fundraising from three Everbright cornerstone LPs is now completed, including China Everbright Group, China Everbright Limited, and China Everbright International. Going forward, China Everbright Group will back the Fund in various ways, including providing capital for the Fund, among other supports.
The Everbright “Belt & Road” Green Investment Fund is one of the deliverables that was announced by President Xi Jinping at the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in April 2019. Among the deliverables, it is the only investment project to be implemented by a financial institution. The first phase of the Fund, the Everbright “Belt & Road” Green Equity Investment Fund is the only newly-launched Chinese business entity that has been approved by the central government to use “Belt & Road” in its name. This series of funds will provide strong support for a green finance system under the “Belt and Road” initiative, leveraging Everbright’s solutions to green industries in China and globally, contributing towards Everbright’s vision of the construction of the “Belt and Road”.
The Everbright “Belt & Road” Green Investment Fund adopts a dual-currency structure of “domestic RMB funds + overseas USD funds”. Its targeted total assets under management (AUM) is RMB 20 billion (US$ 2.8 billion). The first phase of the RMB 10 billion (US$ 1.4 billion) funds is the domestic RMB fund, which will establish a domestic RMB Fund of Fund ('FoF') + municipal direct investment fund” model. Among them, the FoF's planned fundraising size will be no less than RMB 5 billion (US$ 0.7 billion). Integrating China Everbright Group’s superior financial and industry resources, the Fund targets countries and regions along the “Belt and Road”. Its investment mainly focuses on four areas, including green environment, green energy, green manufacturing and green living. The fund will adopt a diversified allocation strategy to gain stable, healthy and sustainable returns, while maximizing the effectiveness of spreading industry and cyclical risks.
The Fund will proactively implement the philosophies of green and responsible investment. It will join hands with international top-tier investment institutions to establish ESG investment strategies and an information appraisal benchmarking system, establishing China’s “flagship” ESG equity investment. Riding on the “FoF + direct investment fund” model, the fund will be able to have an amplification effect to support the construction of China’s ESG investment system. In the future, this Fund will work with international multilateral institutions and top-tier financial institutions, and closely collaborate with governments and leading enterprises along the “Belt and Road” to launch USD funds when time is mature.
Currently, the Fund has a strong investment pipeline of funds and projects, and has completed multiple rounds of discussions and negotiations with central enterprises, municipal-level state-owned enterprises, platforms funded by local governments, as well as renowned private enterprises. Some enterprises’ investment approval process will soon be completed.
