Country for PR: Hong Kong
Contributor: PR Newswire Asia (Hong Kong)
Monday, June 06 2022 - 14:12
AsiaNet
Temasek launches GenZero, an investment platform company aimed at accelerating decarbonisation globally
SINGAPORE, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

-Temasek commits an initial amount of S$5 billion to establish GenZero, an 
investment platform company that aims to accelerate decarbonisation, for future 
generations towards a net zero world
-GenZero will invest globally across three focus areas: technology-based 
solutions, nature-based solutions, and carbon ecosystem enablers
-GenZero seeks to deliver positive climate impact alongside long-term 
sustainable financial returns


Temasek today announced the launch of GenZero, a wholly-owned investment 
platform company dedicated to accelerating decarbonisation globally.

The climate crisis is intensifying and the latest report by the 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the world is not on 
track to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above 
pre-industrial levels. There is an urgent need to accelerate decarbonisation 
across all sectors to avoid irreversible damage to the planet by reducing 
global carbon emissions and address the emissions gap, which is estimated 
between 19 and 26 gigatonnes of carbon in 2030 for a 1.5 degrees Celsius 
scenario[1].

GenZero looks to catalyse decarbonisation solutions with its ability to deploy 
long-term and flexible capital. It invests in opportunities ranging from 
early-stage companies and solutions that require patient capital to 
commercialise and grow, to more mature ones that are ready to scale.

It has three investment focus areas: (i) technology-based solutions that 
deliver deep decarbonisation impact through climate-driven technologies; (ii) 
nature-based solutions that help protect and restore our natural ecosystems to 
generate climate impact while benefiting local communities and biodiversity; 
(iii) carbon ecosystem enablers which refer to companies and solutions that 
support the development of an effective, efficient, and credible carbon 
ecosystem.

Together, these focus areas present a holistic and integrated approach to 
address the emissions gap, with solutions across both the near- and longer-term 
horizons. GenZero seeks to deliver positive climate impact alongside long-term 
sustainable financial returns

Commenting on its establishment, Dr Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer, 
Temasek International, said "GenZero expands Temasek's focus on deploying 
capital to catalyse solutions for a better world. Achieving net zero globally 
will require deployment of around US$5 trillion annually by 2030[2], to rapidly 
adopt and commercialise sustainable energy solutions. Its flexible approach 
will enable it to catalyse near- and long-term solutions to support ongoing 
efforts to achieve net zero globally. GenZero will not only support Temasek's 
efforts as we strive towards halving our portfolio's net emissions by 2030 and 
working towards a net zero portfolio by 2050, but also those of the wider 
ecosystem."

GenZero will be managed by a dedicated team of professionals with deep 
expertise in the investment and sustainability space, led by its CEO-designate, 
Frederick Teo, who is currently the Managing Director of Sustainable Solutions 
at Temasek International. Mr Teo has served nearly 12 years in Temasek in 
leadership positions across a broad range of roles such as sustainability, 
portfolio management, business continuity and strategic stakeholder engagement. 
He will fully transition to his role at GenZero on 1 July 2022.

"GenZero is driven by the common purpose to decarbonise for future generations. 
Recognising the importance of immediate action, we will focus on investment 
opportunities that can deliver positive climate impact by 2030 while ensuring 
sustainable financial returns. Besides deploying capital, we will work with our 
investee companies to address operational challenges and accelerate the 
deployment of their solutions to achieve our shared net zero target," said 
Frederick Teo, CEO-designate, GenZero.

Investing ahead in technology-based solutions

While many decarbonisation technologies and innovations currently exist, they 
require capital to further advance commercial viability and deployment to 
scale. GenZero will invest in carbon reduction and carbon removal technologies 
such as low-carbon materials, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Sequestration 
(CCUS), and advanced biofuels such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). These 
opportunities will help deliver fundamental decarbonisation impact in sectors 
such as power and energy, transport and building, industry and manufacturing.

GenZero has invested in Newlight, a US-based manufacturer of biomaterial 
produced from methane to displace plastics. Through a joint investment with 
C-Quest Capital, GenZero is funding deployment of clean, energy efficient 
cookstoves to rural households in Southeast Asia to reduce carbon emissions. 
GenZero will also invest with third-party funds to expand its networks and 
collaborate with like-minded partners. It is currently working with 
Decarbonization Partners, a Temasek-BlackRock partnership launching a series of 
funds that focus on late-stage venture capital and early growth private equity 
decarbonisation solutions investments; and Brookfield Global Transition Fund, 
which aims to accelerate the global transition to a net zero carbon economy by 
targeting investment opportunities relating to reducing emissions and energy 
consumption, as well as increasing low-carbon energy capacity and supporting 
sustainable solutions.

Protecting and restoring natural ecosystems with nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions are climate solutions such as the protection, 
restoration, and management of natural ecosystems to avoid, reduce, or remove 
carbon emissions, while empowering local communities and enhancing 
biodiversity. They are a crucial factor in climate action as they can provide 
over one-third[3] of cost-effective climate mitigation needed to achieve net 
zero emissions by 2050. Yet, less than 3% of global climate finance is going 
into supporting nature-based solutions[4], signalling a clear mismatch between 
its climate mitigation potential and the investments towards that potential.

GenZero will support and scale the deployment of nature-based solutions through 
investments and project co-development with partners in forestry and 
agriculture sectors, and leverage carbon credits as a market mechanism to 
accelerate funding into these solutions.

GenZero has partnered with Global EverGreening Alliance to support farming 
communities in Kenya to improve their livelihoods through land restoration and 
tree planting. It has also invested in the New Forests Tropical Asia Forest 
Fund 2, which aims to develop a diversified portfolio of sustainable forest 
plantation assets in Southeast Asia and support the region's transition towards 
responsible forestry management.

Building an effective and credible carbon ecosystem

Carbon markets can play a critical part in delivering real emissions reduction 
and driving climate ambition, but only when it is done right. An effective and 
trusted carbon market will help accelerate decarbonisation by providing a 
mechanism to fund decarbonisation technologies and projects; while a credible 
ecosystem and market will be critical to enhance transparency and confidence. 

To support this, GenZero will invest in carbon ecosystem enablers including 
areas such as climate advisory services, carbon trading infrastructure, 
Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV) technologies and rating providers.

GenZero has invested in global climate solutions firm South Pole, which 
develops and implements emission reduction projects and strategies for 
companies, governments and organisations around the world. GenZero is also 
working with Climate Impact X, a global carbon marketplace and exchange, which 
aims to establish a credible carbon trading infrastructure based in Asia. In 
addition, GenZero has made an investment in Perennial, a US-based early-stage 
start-up using artificial intelligence and remote sensing to accurately 
quantify soil organic carbon sequestration on agricultural lands.

Operational governance

GenZero is also pleased to announce the formation of its Board of Directors, 
which brings together experienced leaders with collective expertise spanning 
sustainability, finance, energy and technology, and nature-related sectors. The 
Board will be chaired by Mr Sunny Verghese, Co-founder & Group CEO of Olam, and 
former Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Members of the Board also include Ms Goh Swee Chen, President, Global Compact 
Network Singapore; Dr Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer, Temasek 
International; Dr Ruth Nussbaum, Group Director, Proforest; and Mr Alan 
Thompson, Operating Partner, Temasek International. 

[1] IPCC 2022: Climate Change 2022, Mitigation of Climate Change( 
https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg3/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf). 
Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
[2] IEA 2021: Net Zero by 2050(https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050)
[3] United Nations Global Compact: Nature-Based Solutions to Address Climate 
Change( 
https://www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/events/climate-action-summit-2019/nature-based-solutions#:~:text=Authoritative%20research%20indicates%20that%20Nature,gigatons%20of%20CO2%20per%20year.)

[4] United Nations Environment Programme and International Union for 
Conservation of Nature (2021): Nature-based solutions for climate change 
mitigation( 
https://wedocs.unep.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/37318/NBSCCM.pdf)

About GenZero

GenZero is an investment platform company that aims to accelerate 
decarbonisation, for future generations towards a net zero world. Wholly-owned 
by Temasek, GenZero has a flexible investment approach and will invest globally 
across three focus areas: technology-based solutions, nature-based solutions as 
well as carbon ecosystem enablers. GenZero seeks to deliver positive climate 
impact alongside long-term sustainable financial returns.

For more information on GenZero, visit www.genzero.co.

About Temasek

Temasek is a global investment company with a net portfolio valued at S$381 
billion (US$283 billion) as of 31 March 2021. The Temasek Charter defines the 
company's three roles as an Investor, Institution and Steward, which shape our 
ethos to do well, do right, and do good. As a provider of catalytic capital, we 
seek to enable solutions to key global challenges. With sustainability at the 
core of all Temasek does, it actively seeks sustainable solutions to address 
present and future challenges, as it captures investible opportunities to bring 
about a sustainable future for all.

Appendix

Sunny George VERGHESE

Sunny is the Co-founder & Group CEO of Olam, a leading food and agri-business, 
headquartered in Singapore and ranks amongst the top 30 companies in terms of 
market capitalisation on the Singapore Exchange.

From 2018 to 2021, Sunny was Chair of the World Business Council for 
Sustainable Development (WBCSD). He also served as a Commissioner of the 
Business & Sustainable Development Commission (BSDC) in 2016. He served on the 
Board of International Enterprise Singapore from 2002 to 2013 and was its Chair 
from 2008 to 2013.

In April 2022, Sunny was appointed as Chairman of GenZero, an investment 
platform company, wholly-owned by Temasek, dedicated to accelerating 
decarbonisation globally. He is also currently Chairman of the Board of the 
Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI), Singapore, Chairman of JOil (S) Pte 
Ltd and also serves on the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University.

Sunny was conferred The Public Service Medal by the Government of Singapore in 
August 2010.

He holds a post graduate management degree from the Indian Institute of 
Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and has also completed the Advanced Management 
Program (AMP) from the Harvard Business School.

GOH Swee Chen 

Swee Chen is currently the Chairman at the National Arts Council, and the 
Chairman of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). In addition, she is the 
President of Global Compact Network Singapore, a UNGC Local Network, and also 
chairs the Institute HR Professionals. She joined Shell in 2003 and retired as 
Chairman, Shell Companies in Singapore in January 2019. She was previously with 
Procter & Gamble and IBM. A global leader, she has lived and worked in 
Singapore, Malaysia, Netherlands, Australia, USA, Japan and China. Swee Chen 
has a diverse professional background, having led significant businesses in Oil 
& Gas, Consumer Goods and IT sectors. 

Swee Chen serves on the Boards of Singapore Airlines, SP Group, JTC 
Corporation, Woodside Petroleum (Australia) and Resilience Collective. She is 
also a member of the Legal Services Commission, Singapore Research, Innovation 
and Enterprise Council and Centre for Liveable Cities Advisory Panel. Swee Chen 
had previously chaired/served in the Boards of Shell Joint Ventures in China, 
Korea and Saudi Arabia, as well as CapitaLand Investment and Centre for 
Liveable Cities Ltd. 

Swee Chen graduated with B.Sc. - Victoria University and MBA - Chicago Booth, 
University of Chicago. She was named Distinguished Alumni, Chicago Booth, in 
2018. She is married with three children. 

Dr Steve HOWARD

Steve is currently the Chief Sustainability Officer of at Temasek. He is also 
Founding Chair of the We Mean Business Coalition and a member of the LeapFrog's 
Global Leadership Council. In addition, Steve is on the Administrative Board of 
SEforALL, and until recently was Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum's Global 
Future Council on Environmental and Natural Resource Security. 

Steve was Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Group and served on IKEA's 
Executive Group Management from 2011-2017. In 2015, Steve co-founded We Mean 
Business, a leading climate change coalition of organisations that helped 
support the Paris Agreement. Prior to IKEA, Steve was Founder and CEO of The 
Climate Group, a global NGO that has built networks of cities, states, regions, 
and businesses committed to a net-zero carbon world. Before the Climate Group, 
Steve consulted on sustainability for major corporations and institutions, 
working as a partner at ERM Group in London and a Director at URS Corporation. 
He has worked with various NGOs and UN bodies on a wide range of global 
sustainability topics. Earlier in his career, Steve worked in WWF, where he 
established the Global Forest and Trade Network, chaired the UK Forest 
Stewardship Council and helped launch and chair The Forest Trust.

Steve is trained as an ecologist and has a PhD in Ecophysiology and 
Environmental Physics based on research in Kenya. 

Dr Ruth NUSSBAUM 

Ruth has been working with responsible production and sourcing of natural 
resources for more than two decades and was a co-founder of Proforest.

Ruth has worked with companies, governments and NGOs in more than 
40 countries on the practical implementation of responsible practices, 
supporting collaboration between different stakeholders, developing 
international and national policies and standards, and writing a range of 
guides and books.

Ruth sits on the board of the Climate and Land Use Alliance and the Sustainable 
Sourcing Advisory Board of Unilever. She is also a member of advisory groups 
for IDH, TFA, ISEAL and APRIL. 

Alan THOMPSON 

Alan is currently an Operating Partner at Temasek International. Prior to that 
he was Joint Head of Strategic Development. Alan was previously Senior Managing 
Director of the Enterprise Development Group, Joint Head of Private Equity Fund 
Investments and Managing Director, Portfolio Management, and Managing Director, 
Telecommunications and Media. He was also based in Sao Paulo for several years 
as Managing Director, Latin America while he established Temasek's offices in 
Latin America.

Prior to joining Temasek in 2004, he was a Partner at Stern Stewart & Co, where 
he led numerous client engagements on managing for shareholder value across a 
wide range of industries in Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa.

Mr Thompson previously worked in the private equity fund of a large banking 
group in South Africa, and had ten years of operational experience in the 
high-tech sector in South Africa, spanning software engineering, systems 
engineering and executive management roles.

He holds an MBA, a Graduate Diploma in Engineering and a B.Sc. Engineering 
(Electrical) degree, from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, 
South Africa. 

SOURCE:  Temasek