October 10, 2022

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

International private equity platform Bregal Investments announced a majority investment in, and strategic partnership with, PUR Projet (PUR), a nature-based solutions project developer with a focus on agroforestry and regenerative agriculture in the coffee, cocoa, and other global supply chains. 

Last year, Bregal was key in driving the development of the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) guidance parameters for the private equity sector, and, the company noted that this investment in PUR further reinforces the firm’s strong commitment to climate action through scaling natural climate solutions that work with nature to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

“Making capital work for the good of people and the planet is a societal imperative,” said Alain Carrier, CEO, Bregal. “As a firm, responsible and sustainable investment practices are a core part of our investment philosophy, and we are excited to be partnering with a mission-driven company such as PUR, as the first step on our journey to launching a dedicated impact platform – Bregal Sphere.”

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Paris, France, PUR is a Certified B Corp pioneering “insetting” – the process of working with clients to develop nature-based solution projects within their supply chain designed to sequester and store carbon emissions while also generating positive impacts for the communities and ecosystems in which they exist.

Under this business model, PUR has partnered with corporates and leading brands, implementing more than 50 projects to-date that are designed in close partnership with local communities with the goal of maintaining and restoring essential ecosystem services, improving community resilience through capacity building and income diversity, and supporting essential climate mitigation efforts.

These projects have supported more than 50,000 farmers in rural areas of six continents, have restored and preserved over 300,000 hectares of land, and planted more than 20 million new trees.

“Humanity is facing an unprecedented climate crisis and investing in nature is an essential part of the solution,” said Tristan Lecomte, founder, PUR Projet. “This crisis is bigger than us. Bregal’s investment in PUR will help us scale nature-based solutions projects worldwide and further strengthen the impact that we have on the communities we partner with across the globe.”

Bregal stated that this investment will help scale the global development and deployment of high-quality nature-based solution projects, and will support efforts to address the significant financing gap for nature and biodiversity. Moving forward, Bregal’s Bregal Sphere platform will act to deploy targeted capital to help address environmental and societal challenges in a responsible and sustainable manner.

“We are very excited to partner with Tristan and PUR’s management team to help accelerate their approach to climate action – investing in nature and communities,” said Alvar de Wolff, head of ESG and responsible investing, Bregal. “Insetting offers a genuine route for companies to reach net zero – by reducing emissions within their own supply chains and helping them to meet their climate commitments.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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