The first ever Greek ESG Transformation Fund launched by Whitetip Investments AEPEY
Michael Spanos, CEO of Global Sustain Group appointed as Fund Advisor
Focusing on modern-time demands but also on the future consumers’ demands, Whitetip Investments AEPEY launches the first ESG Transformation Fund in Greece, an investment scheme of sustainable investments based on ESG criteria (Environmental, Social and Governance – environment, society and corporate governance). This pioneering effort is led by Whitetip Investments AEPEY CEO Babis Angeletopoulos and Pieralisi Hellas CEO for 18 years Angelos Mochoulis with over 100 environmental adaptation projects. The independent management company will be staffed by professionals with proven experience in both Finance and Business Sustainability.
The name of the Fund, inspired by the butterfly species “Zerynthia”, reveals the purpose of the project by allegorically conveying ‘’Transformation in Life’’ into ‘’Transformation in Business’’ represented by the life cycle of a butterfly.
Aiming at new and existing Greek SMEs, the team’s mission is to transform them into viable and profitable companies with real value for all stakeholders – suppliers, consumers, society, environment – creating a sustainable business model based on Triple Bottom Line (People – Planet – Profit) through the provision of flexible financing tools (debt related instruments) and specialized consulting.
For this transition, based on the UN PRI and aiming to ensure the link between economic and sustainable development, Zerynthia ESG Transformation Fund has developed a clear process of integrating the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the “traditional” investment process using the globally recognized IFC Performance Standards.
Moreover, as a follow-up to the Fund’s mission, Zerynthia’s management team developed a structured and highly innovative for the Greek standards, Philanthropy Plan, through which it commits to donate 5% of its total revenue annually to actions related to education and innovation, women empowerment and the environment. Through the Philanthropy Plan, the management team demonstrates in practice its commitment to the values that govern the Fund’s philosophy, offering to society and the environment while at the same time strengthening the ESG footprint of Zerynthia in the Greek economy.
Accordingly impressive is the team of Greek and Foreign Advisors that has been aggregated: Caterina Occhio, world famous CSR and Sustainability Advisor (Chloe, AzeedineAlaia, Aspesi, and Trussardi), Michalis Spanos CEO and founder of Global Sustain Group, Apostolos Siskos, member of EVEA, Head of the Forum for Energy, Co-founder and CEO of EMICERT and ENVIROMETRCS, Professor of the Technical University of Athens, with over 36 years of experience in water resources management, Andreas Andreadakis, Associate Professor of the University of Piraeus, Constantina Kottaridi, Aurora Mondavi of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, Vassilis Monogios, Advisor for Corporate Governance and Internal Audit, as well as mathematician Panagiotis Mamalis, President of the Leontio Lyceum Alumni Association and member of ActionAid. All together composing a team that completely serves all purposes and goals of the Fund.
According to Babis Angeletopoulos, “the COVID-19 pandemic, as a springboard for a new beginning, revealed a series of challenges and made investors realize how vulnerable and interconnected our societies and areas of business are, proving that we can no longer ignore issues of global sustainability. The business-as-usual approach will soon belong to the past as it does not allow the world to face huge environmental and social challenges without questioning economic growth. The new European Green Agreement, as a guiding force for the restart of the Greek economy, provides the incentive to strengthen private and public initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable investment and the transition to a green economy. And to this goal we must all contribute by offering knowledge and capital while at the same time returning not only to the environment but also to society.”
The Fund, fluctuating between 30 and 50 million Euros, is expected to gain the investing attention of important names of Greek and international business, Company CSR departments, Greek and global institutional investors as well as Sophisticated Institutions.
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