AVCJ Private Equity Forum Australia & New Zealand 2024
Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney and Online
06
Mar
Hot topic: Accessing opportunities around decarbonisation and energy transition
Given the scale of the challenge, climate change is perhaps the largest investment opportunities of this century and decarbonisation solutions will play an essential role in accelerating the transition to a cleaner environment. For GPs, energy and climate represent a once in a generation investment opportunity if they can develop the internal skills to identify, win and operate assets that harness the growth. Climate change is barely out of the news so for those that can raise capital or pivot their focus to generate a positive environmental impact along with the financial returns, the ability to succeed when fundraising and future stability is increased.
- Where are the investment opportunities in decarbonisation?
- Which sectors are the most conducive to investment?
- What opportunities exist in sectors and assets that are not thematically aligned to decarbonisation?
- How are investors building processes and data management to avoid greenwashing?
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SpeakersJulie Vasadi Partner, Head of ESG Due Diligence Transaction Services KPMG AUSTRALIA
Suzanne Tavill Global Head of Responsible Investment, Partner STEPSTONE
Alex Satchcroft Portfolio Manager, Private Equity AWARE SUPER
Kristin Vaughan Managing Partner VIRESCENT VENTURES
Fiona Holyoake Partner TASMAN CAPITAL
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As KPMG Australia’s Head of ESG Due Diligence practice, Julie provides her clients with critical insights on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks and value creation opportunities which can seal or break a deal. The way a target company handles ESG issues can affect long-term performance and valuation and the monetary value of identifying risks and upsides related to ESG at the pre-signing stage makes ESG due diligence critical.
She has been advising publicly listed and large private clients across all sectors on ESG strategy, reporting and assurance, in Australia and internationally, for over 15 years and has worked across all parts of the investment lifecycle.
She understands how the effective management of environmental and social issues such as GHG emissions, climate risk, modern slavery and circularity, combined with transparent reporting will play an increasing role in helping companies succeed.
Julie believes the quality of ESG data and information should be investment-grade and akin to financial information to enable investors to make critical investment decisions. Focus on financial analysis alone represents a shrinking percentage of the information that the market considers important and over the past decade, there has been a significant shift towards non-financial analysis being used to uncover risks and opportunities.
Julie was the co-author of KPMG Australia’s Impact Plan and KPMG’s bi-annual thought leadership publication Sustainability Reporting Survey that explores global and Australian trends in sustainability reporting.
Ms. Tavill is the global head of responsible investment, leading all ESG and impact initiatives across all businesses and investment strategies at StepStone Group, a global private markets investment firm focused on providing customized investment solutions and advisory and data services to some of the most sophisticated investors in the world. With more than US$548 billion of private markets allocations, including over US$127 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2021, StepStone covers the spectrum of opportunities in private markets across the globe. Ms. Tavill is also a member of the private equity team.
Prior to StepStone, Ms. Tavill was responsible for AMP Capital’s global alternative investment platform that included private equity, infrastructure and real assets. Before that she spent five years at Van Eyk Research in Sydney, the last four as head of research. Before moving to Australia, she was an executive director at Goldman Sachs Investment Management, responsible for their UK small-and mid-cap portfolios.
Ms. Tavill received a MSc in finance and economics from the London School of Economics, in addition to a BBS with honors in economics and honors in finance from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Kristin has been investing in early- and growth-stage companies for 18 years, as a director at private equity firm CHAMP Ventures, as a director of the CEFC's Clean Energy Innovation Fund, and now as Managing Partner at climate tech firm Virescent Ventures. She has invested across a range of industries including climate tech, education, industrial services and food, from pre-seed to growth capital and buyouts. Kristin previously worked as a strategy consultant at Kearney and holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering.
Fiona Holyoake is a Partner at Tasman Capital. Her Investment, Industry and Transaction experience spans energy, technology, infrastructure, financial services and real estate. She has been a Portfolio Manager and Investee Board Director in Private Equity, and Venture Capital funds as well as done deals across Asia, USA and Australia in Corporate M&A and Strategy roles for Deutsche Bank and Origin Energy.
Going from “black to green”, her first energy deal was the sale and refinancing of Yallourn Power Station in the infrastructure fund at DB Capital Partners. Prior to Tasman, Fiona was a Managing Director at PwC and advised domestic and international corporates, instos and state-owned entities on investments in the energy transition, renewables, clean-tech, carbon market, circular economy, and transmission infrastructure sectors.