- Aquila Capital European Hydropower Fund S.A and European Hydro S.C.Sp. rank first and second in their peer group
- Småkraft AS - Europe’s biggest operator of small-scale hydropower plants ranks first in its peer group and is awarded maximum five-star rating for second year in a row
- Aguia Enlica, Lda – the Portuguese Hydropower Portfolio – ranked second in its peer group
Hamburg, 10 November 2020 – The Hamburg-based real asset specialist Aquila Capital further strengthens its leading position as a sustainable investment manager in real asset solutions: an analysis by GRESB confirms that the firm’s ESG framework meets the highest industry standards. This assessment underlines Aquila Capital’s strong commitment to ensure that sustainability is an integral part of its investment strategy.
GRESB is an independent mission-driven and investor-led organization that uses ESG data and a scoring system to produce benchmark reports and portfolio analysis tools to assess the sustainability performance of real asset sector portfolios and assets. It provides standardized and validated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data to the capital markets.
The Aquila Capital European Hydropower Fund S.A. ranked first out of six in the European Renewable Power | Private Equity Funds peer group. Compared to last year, the GRESB score increased by 16 points reaching 78 out of 100 – well above the peer average of 66. In the same peer group, Aquila Capital also reached the second rank with its European Hydro S.C.Sp. scoring 75 out of 100 (compared to 68 in 2019). Both funds received a four-star rating.
The company Småkraft AS, Europe’s biggest independent operator of small-scale hydropower plants and one of the assets managed by Aquila Capital, received the maximum five-star rating. It ranked first out of six in the European l Hydroelectric Power Generation sector. Scoring 83 (an increase of ten points compared to last year), the asset clearly outperformed the peer group’s average score of 55.
In addition, Aguia Enlica, Lda, the Portuguese Hydropower Portfolio managed by Aquila Capital, ranked second in its peer group of Europe | Hydroelectric Power Generation with a score of 80 out of 100. The portfolio was analyzed by GRESB for the first time, highlighting that Aquila Capital’s dedication to sustainability contributes to the ESG performance of all its assets under management.
Roman Rosslenbroich, co-founder and CEO of Aquila Capital, says: “The GRESB results are a great acknowledgement of our work. We strive to ensure that we are advancing investing practices that stand the test of time. Ecological, social, and societal criteria are firmly anchored in our investment process. We manage these aspects actively during the assets’ lifetime to ensure long-term value, stability, and performance. At Aquila Capital, we will continue to drive sustainable investing by providing attractive opportunities to our investors.”
Aquila Capital has a strong commitment to ESG values and is continuing to expand its investment focus on renewable energy, green logistics and most recently energy efficiency. A dedicated ESG committee not only ensures that ESG aspects are included in the investment analysis and other key decision-making processes, but also that sustainable and ethical thinking is being further established within the entire Aquila Group.
Additional information on Aquila Capital’s commitment to ESG can be found here.