Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. aims to raise about $20 billion for its second fund dedicated to investing in the global transition to clean energy from fossil fuels, according to people familiar with the matter.
(Bloomberg) — Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. aims to raise about $20 billion for its second fund dedicated to investing in the global transition to clean energy from fossil fuels, according to people familiar with the matter.
The world’s second-largest alternative asset manager expects to start fundraising by midyear, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are confidential. It may eventually gather as much as $25 billion for the pool depending on investor demand, the people said.
A representative for the Toronto-based firm declined to comment.
The firm raised $15 billion for its first Brookfield Global Transition Fund, overseen by former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney and Connor Teskey, chief executive officer of Brookfield Renewable.
Green-focused investors are betting that renewable-energy firms are poised for major growth after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine plunged global energy trade into turmoil, and as the world aims to meet commitments to limit climate change. Smart money is following “an absolute wall of opportunity” in the energy sector, Carney said in a recent interview with Bloomberg.
Brookfield’s renewable-energy strategy includes investing in businesses that want to decarbonize but lack the capital or operational expertise to do so. The firm teamed up with EIG Global Energy Partners for a potential takeover of Origin Energy Ltd., the owner of Australia’s biggest coal plant.
The plans for Origin include investments of A$20 billion ($13.5 billion) by 2030 to boost renewable generation capacity and energy storage, Stewart Upson, Brookfield’s chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific, said last week.
Read more: Brookfield Has $90 Billion for Deals After Fundraising Boom
Brookfield’s existing transition fund invests in wind and solar energy, battery storage, carbon capture and nuclear power. Last year, the firm teamed up with Uranium miner Cameco Corp. to buy nuclear-power giant Westinghouse Electric.
The world will need more renewable energy sources in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 to head off the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.