HCAP participates in the 4th One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds annual Network Summit
The Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (HCAP) that has been a member of the global One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds (OPSWF) Network since April 2021, participated in the 4th Annual One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds Summit, which took place on October 4th in the Élysée Palace, Paris, in the context of the corporation’s active participation in the effort to reverse climate change. The conversation was hosted by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and also attended by the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.
The One Planet for Sovereign Wealth Funds (OPSWF) Network was founded in 2017 by leading global Public Investment Funds aiming to accelerate the members’ contribution to the transition to a sustainable low carbon economy. This is an initiative led by Emmanuel Macron whose firm belief is that if investment funds set environmental investment priorities, they can positively influence and pull the whole economy towards this direction. The network includes 43 of the world’s largest institutional investors, including Wealth Funds, global Asset Managers and Private Equity Funds. Representatives of OPSWF members discussed with President Macron and the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, the latest investment trends and strategies intended to prevent climate change, as well as the need for strategic RES investments in emerging and developed markets aiming to the achievement of the objectives set by the Paris Agreement.
In his speech, the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, underlined that OPSWF members are brought together at the forefront of the transition to a global economy aligned with the Paris Agreement. At the same time, he added, “we are witnessing a critical mass of investors who are exempting their portfolios from investments related to high carbon emissions, as well as companies that are investing in the reduction of their footprint according to investors’ requirements. Our only hope to ensure that the planet’s temperature does not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius, depends on rapidly evolving innovations that will allow companies to have (1) a carbon-negative footprint and (2) a positive biodiversity footprint in order to balance the carbon equation and to protect future generations”.
In turn, John Kerry, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, stated: “Led by President Macron and based on the experience brought by Sovereign Investment Funds, Asset Managers and Private Equity Funds, the OPSWF initiative has the potential to act as a catalyst against climate change and to shift trillions of dollars towards sustainable and smart climate investments.”
During his speech regarding Greece’s accession to One Planet (OPSWF) global network, HCAP CEO, Gregory D. Dimitriadis, said: “The climate crisis is without a doubt the most important threat facing our planet today. It is only through wider regional and international collaborations that we can respond to the problem convincingly. HCAP joins forces with impactful global organizations to contribute jointly and actively to meeting this great challenge.”
