Brookfield to raise $20 billion for second energy transition fund

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. 

Fundraising is expected to start by midyear, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are confidential, and the firm may eventually gather as much as $25 billion for the pool depending on investor demand. A representative for the Toronto-based firm declined to comment.

Brookfield’s plans deepen its low-carbon bet after raising $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 see renewable-energy firms as poised to surge amid turmoil in global energy markets after Russia invaded Ukraine and a rush 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 world’s second-largest alternative asset manager teamed up with EIG Global Energy Partners for a potential takeover of Origin Energy Ltd., owner of Australia’s biggest coal plant.

[Layan Odeh and Dinesh Nair]

More: Brookfield Seeks $20 Billion for Next Energy Transition Fund