The group announced its intention to float this week, in the form of an investment trust, to the Premium Segment of the London Stock Exchange. The ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Trust hopes to raise up to $340m to invest in sustainable energy infrastructure in fast-growing emerging economies in Asia.
It is set to receive seed funding by the UK Government of up to £25m, which is likely to be a first for an investment trust. The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office has pledged to use public markets to help with projects that support the 'global goals' on sustainability and net-zero transition. The ThomasLloyd Energy Impact Trust is among five organisations to receive the funding.
Montfort has been hired on a project basis and will move to a retainer post-listing.
Michael Sieg, CEO of ThomasLloyd, said: “Asia is the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer of energy, but it is also the largest emitter of carbon dioxide; it is critical for the future of the world that we address this. The fact that the average ‘carbon cost’ of GDP in Asia is four times as high as that of the four largest economies in Europe, means that investment in renewable energy in Asia is vital to achieve a net-zero world.
“The need for more sustainable energy has also created an unprecedented investment opportunity. Now is the time to deploy capital and secure attractive returns while making a fundamentally positive contribution to the environment. We are confident that with our identified pipeline of seed assets, we can put the capital we raise to work rapidly and make a real impact on improving the environment and reducing emissions, having a positive impact on local communities through the creation of direct and indirect jobs – which has a significant multiplier effect while delivering appealing returns for our investors.”
