Funds investing in the energy transition are increasingly attracting investors. According to the latest annual report from the International Energy Agency, in 2022, 1,740 billion dollars (around 1,600 billion euros) were invested in clean energy, an amount increasing by almost 500 billion over the last five years.
To explain this craze, specialists highlight in particular that “these investments make it possible to give meaning to your savings, by participating in financing the energy transition, while offering unguaranteed returns, uncorrelated with the evolution of the financial markets”specifies Fabrice Dumonteil, president and founder of Eiffel Investment.
Beware of risks
Long reserved for professional investors such as insurance companies or pension funds, investments in renewable energies have gradually become more widespread in recent years.
Some management companies specializing in the private equity segment now offer savers financial products on this theme, generally through a risk mutual fund allowing investment in securities issued by private companies. , especially “bonds or convertible bonds not listed on a stock exchange, intended to finance energy transition infrastructure assets in Europe, in particular solar energy plants”specifies Fabrice Dumonteil.
Accessible with a securities account, some of these risky mutual funds are also available through the units of account of a life insurance contract or a retirement savings plan. However, they often require committing to a defined lifespan at the outset, most often between five to eight years.
Please note, these products do not offer a guarantee on the capital invested, investors remaining exposed to possible failures of the companies financed.
A high entry ticket
To limit risks, most managers diversify their portfolio across several dozen different operations. They invest in various infrastructure projects linked to the energy transition, mainly by financing companies that produce green electricity, from solar panels, onshore wind turbines or even hydraulic installations, generally located in the Hexagon. And the game can be worth the effort. Indeed, according to the professional association France Invest, over the last ten years, the annualized performance of private equity reached 14.2% net of fees, at the end of 2022.
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