Sustainability at CAPZA
We are convinced that the companies that can meet the challenges of sustainable development will be those that create more value over the long term.
Our value as a responsible investor lies in our ability to:
#1 Support our portfolio companies in the transition
#2 Provide sustainable investment solutions to our investors who have duties and commitments as asset owners
#3 Lead by example by setting ourselves high standards in terms of sustainability and supporting, engaging and empowering our employees in this area
#4 Collaborate with our ecosystem to increase focus on sustainability in the market
Our 360° approach to support the transition to a more sustainable economy
#1 Supporting portfolio companies in the transition
As a shareholder or lender, we are committed to helping companies create financial and extrafinancial value during our holding period.
– We can support companies in the development and implementation of sustainability roadmaps and monitor their progress.
– We seek to align interest by integrating sustainability performance targets in transaction structuring whether it is financing instruments or management incentive structures.
#2 Providing sustainable investment solutions to our investors
– We integrate an ESG framework throughout our investment process
– We develop process, funds and solutions to meet investors expectations on sustainability
– We deliver high quality ESG reporting to ensure transparency
#3 Leading by example
We believe that to be credible we must hold ourselves to the same standards and use the same tools we deploy with our portfolio companies. CAPZA is a mid-sized company, much like those in which we invest, and we hold ourselves to the same standards of transparency and alignment of interests and deploy the same transformation levers that we expect of our portfolio companies.
We have:
– Defined robust governance for ESG and Sustainability matters.
– Set internal objectives that mirror the ESG goals we agree with portfolio companies on our three sustainability priorities.
– Applied the same measurement and monitoring process to CAPZA that we use with our portfolio companies.
– Included ESG performance targets in our remuneration schemes.
In 2024, CAPZA Launched its new Philanthropic Program, which consists in promoting financial education for everyone and fostering a more inclusive financial sector. To bring this vision to life, CAPZA has partnered with CITECO and Fondation Florence.
We also support:
#4 Influencing our ecosystem
– We share our vision of sustainability in higher education and industry conferences.
– We develop a sustainability-linked community and seek to facilitate cross fertilization.
– We are involved in various industry groups and we promote ESG best practices when we act as co-investor or lender.
Our ESG Commitments
We have defined three key priorities to guide our sustainability strategy. These three priorities guide our actions in the active support of our portfolio companies and in the implementation of our CSR approach as a management company.
#1 Climate actions: we are committed to better analyse climate risks and contribute to carbon neutrality by 2050
#2 Limit biodiversity loss: we are committed to better analyse nature related risks and impacts and especially better preserve water
#3 Diversity and inclusion: we are committed to promote profit sharing, training, and diversity
Our team
CAPZA has a dedicated team led by Aurore Gauffre, Head of Sustainability and Impact. They are responsible for developing our sustainability strategy and ensuring its integration across processes and products, piloting ESG related projects, managing Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) at the company level. They are supported by various ESG referents across CAPZA.
Providing sustainable solutions to our investors
We seek to embed sustainability at every stage of our investment process and can offer investors tailor made sustainable solutions:
#1 CAPZA launched a mid-cap LBO fund aiming to support companies in accelerating their growth internationally and helping them meet the challenges of decarbonation.
Discover CAPZA Flex Equity Mid-Market II
#2 MAIF, a leading French insurer with 15 years commitment to responsible investment has chosen to entrust CAPZA and its subsidiary Artemid with the management of a dedicated environmental impact senior debt mandate.
Discover MAIF Environmental Impact Debt
Policies, reports and SFDR disclosures
– Responsible investing policy
– Sustainability-related disclosures
– Sustainability report 2022
– Sustainability report 2023
– Sustainability report 2024
From commitment to reality: how we can help portfolio companies
Companies are facing four major challenges that we can help to address:
– Navigate the complexity of ESG regulatory frameworks
– Take into account climate transition in their business model
– Be able to respond to their client’s requirements on ESG data collection, measurement and transparency
– Facilitate talent retention in an environment where a responsible employer is more likely to succeed
Below are concrete examples of actions in order to help portfolio companies:
– We seek to share best in class ESG standards and are in the process of building a dedicated platform to give access to regulatory updates, and best in class ESG policies (Code of Ethic, Responsible Supply Policy, Water…)
– We seek to connect companies with ESG providers and assist them in identifying financial aids. As such, we have negotiated master agreements with recognized ESG solutions providers to deliver on the ESG-decarbonation roadmap.
– We aim to build a sustainable-linked community, encouraging best practice sharing between portfolio companies and organising events to encourage networking.
– By performing our annual ESG analysis on over 100 KPIs, we enable portfolio companies to collect, measure and analyses the necessary data to build ESG action plans. We reward the most sustainable companies and those that have made the best progress in our annual CAPZA Sustainable development award
– We offer companies Climate Fresk & 2Tons workshops and support companies in rolling out climate awareness in their organization
Key figures
Leading by example: how we are training our staff on Climate Fresk
We believe a common understanding of climate issues and levers of change is the first step to take action and build solutions contributing to the transition to a low carbon society.
That is why…
– All CAPZA employees are trained on “Climate Fresk”.
– We have also trained a group of Climate Fresk facilitators within CAPZA who can lead the training themselves. Thus, they can raise awareness on the fundamental science behind climate change and empower our stakeholders to act.
– We offer workshops on climate change challenges and solutions to our stakeholders, whether they are portfolio companies or asset owners. That way, we can engage discussions and spark the necessary rethinking of business models due to climate transition
Climate Fresks
at CAPZA
CAPZA employees have been trained on Climate Fresk by our internal group of facilitators.
Sustainability events
CAPZA regularly organizes lunch debates on sustainable development with investors and companies to give us the opportunity to deepen our understanding of environmental and societal issues and to question ourselves on the solutions to address them. CAPZA has launched the first sustainability awards for its companies to highlight their commitments and progress on sustainability.
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6Dec’ 2023Conference on Water-related ChallengesEmma Haziza was the guest of the latest Sustainability Lunch Debate hosted by CAPZA.Read more -
8Nov’ 2022Launch of MAIF Dette à Impact Environnemental FundMAIF and CAPZA/ARTEMID launch a dedicated environmental impact debt fund.Read more -
10Oct’ 2022Decarbonization of SMEs: the challenges of private equityThis opinion paper was co-authored by CAPZA’s Founder & Executive Chairman Christophe Karvelis-Senn and Aurore Gauffre, Head of Sustainability & Impact. It was published by the French newspaper Les Echos.Read more