Investments in carbon assets

Financing carbon emissions reductions

CDC Climat’s ambition is to contribute each year to reduce carbon emissions by 25 Mt. It invests in carbon assets which represent emission reductions and through innovative carbon assets funds alongside with other long term investors.

CDC Climat takes concrete action to combat climate change. It invests in carbon assets generated by emission reduction projects throughout the world. By 2013, it aims to reduce carbon and GHG emissions by 25 Mt per year, i.e. the equivalent of 5% of France’s CO₂ emissions during this period.

A subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts specialised in carbon finance, CDC Climat has adapted its long-term investment policy to encourage sustainable development and low carbon economy at the international level.

With its subsidiary, CDC Climat Asset Management, CDC Climat covers its whole investment process.

Investment methods

CDC Climat invests in two ways:

through a direct investment portfolio. The 60-million-euro portfolio, which was opened in 2010, allows the company to invest quickly in projects. The management of this portfolio is entrusted under mandate to its specialised subsidiary: CDC Climat Asset Management.
in the form of innovative carbon funds. With long-term investment partners, these funds are committed to sustained financing of low carbon projects. CDC Climat is already a shareholder of three innovative carbon funds and took initiative in June 2010 to launch a project of Mediterranean Carbon Fund with other European long term investors. CDC Climat aims to invest €160m by 2015 and generate €500m in investments by leveraging its partners.

Partnerships

CDC Climat and PROPARCO, French Development Finance Institution, have formed a strategic partnership to invest jointly in carbon emission reduction projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean region. More information

CDC Climat prefers partnerships with long-term investors that share its investment philosophy (public international, regional and national banks, development banks) and with public players committed to low carbon economic development (governments and international organisations, development agencies). In Europe, its natural partners are the authorities of the European Union, its Member States and its local authorities.