Brookfield Asset Management announced today that it has raised $10 billion at the first close of its second global private equity fund focused on investments accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy, the Brookfield Global Transition Fund (BGTF II).

According to Brookfield, the new fund, launched last year, is already on track to exceed the size of its record-breaking predecessor BGTF fund, which reached $15 billion at its final close in June 2022, making it the largest private fund dedicated to investing in the net zero economy.

Brookfield added that the strong fundraise comes as it “continues to see a significant acceleration in transition opportunities globally.” The announcement follows a series of moves by major investors to target emerging decarbonization and energy transition opportunities, including BlackRock’s $12.5 billion acquisition in January of infrastructure investor Global Infrastructure Partners, and the subsequent acquisition by General Atlantic of sustainable infrastructure investor Actis.

The fund is co-led by Brookfield Chair and Head of Transition Investing Mark Carney, and Brookfield Renewables CEO Connor Teskey.

Teskey said:

“Corporate demand for decarbonization technologies is now the primary driver of transition investment, delivering significant economic value as well as meaningful environmental benefits. New trends are also emerging, such as supplying reliable, clean power to the surging data and technology sector, building entirely new industrial supply chains, and scaling technologies required for industrial decarbonization.”

Brookfield’s BGTF investment strategy focuses on three primary areas, including the expansion of clean energy, the transformation of companies operating in carbon-intensive sectors to more sustainable business models, and the acceleration of sustainable solutions. Fund II investments to date include the acquisition of one of the UK’s largest independent developers and operators of onshore wind farms, and a solar development partnership in India. Brookfield aims to conclude fundraising for BGFT II in Q3 of this year.

The firm said that the inaugural fund’s capital is already substantially deployed or committed, with investments ranging across renewable power, business transformation, carbon capture and storage, renewable natural gas, and nuclear services opportunities. Brookfield added that all investments are managed to science-based sector pathways for net zero and the total impact of the fund, and that the fund is on track to achieve avoided emissions exceeding the combined annual emissions of New York City, London and Toronto.

Carney said:

“We have demonstrated beyond doubt the breadth and scale of attractive investment opportunities in the transition to a net zero economy. By going where the emissions are, the Brookfield Global Transition Fund strategy is aiming to deliver strong risk-adjusted financial returns for investors and make meaningful environmental impacts for people and the planet.”