Climate Change Capital Announces Close of Climate Change Capital Private Equity Fund (CPE) at EUR200 Million

LONDON, September 5 /PRNewswire/ --     Climate Change Capital ("CCC"), a leading investment banking
group dedicated to investment in clean energy and the low carbon economy,
today announces the close of the Climate Change Capital Private Equity fund
("CPE") at EUR200 million, one of the largest such funds in Europe.



    CPE targets the high growth clean technology areas of clean
power, clean transport, energy efficiency, waste recovery and water across
Europe. CPE invests its funds in expansion and later stage companies
including buyouts.



    The investment team, comprising partners, Alex Betts, Bruno
Derungs and Simon Drury, has a combined experience of over 50 years in
private equity and over 20 years in clean technology investment. The team is
able to leverage CCC's specialist industry and market knowledge, policy
insights and international network of contacts to the benefit of the
portfolio companies.



    Investors in the fund include AlpInvest, Robeco, HSBC, USS,
Alliance Trust, Bankinter, Woelbern Group and Harcourt.



    CPE Partner Simon Drury said:



    "It is gratifying that our fund has found such enthusiastic
investor support. The European clean technology market offers the potential
for excellent returns and we are confident that we will be seen as a partner
of choice by companies in this market, whose growth we feel we can support
both through capital and access to CCC's international network."



    The close of CPE is another milestone in CCC's investment
management business and takes CCC's assets under management to over US$1.5
billion. In 2005 CCC launched Ventus VCT plc and its first carbon fund, C4F1
followed in 2006 by the twin funds Ventus 2 VCT plc and Ventus 3 VCT plc. The
same year saw CCC announce the close of C4FII, at EUR800 million, the world's
largest private sector carbon fund. In 2007, four years after the firm's
incorporation, CCC's strategic, comprehensive and innovative approach to
climate change was recognised as it received The Man Group International
Climate Change Award.



    CCC chief executive Mark Woodall said:



    "The close of the CPE fund confirms CCC's market position as
one of the leading investment banking and asset management firms focused on
clean technologies and the low carbon economies. We are furthering our reach
and knowledge in this very high growth and important sector and we look
forward to developing further funds to direct capital to de-carbonise our
economies."



    Notes to Editors



    About the Investment Team



    Alex Betts: Alex was formerly a Partner at Montagu Private
Equity and Head of Corporate Venture Capital at Royal Dutch Shell. He has 16
years' private equity experience and 4 years' clean tech experience.



    Bruno Derungs: Bruno was formerly a Principal at SAM Private
Equity and MD of ATV (a Swiss VC) and Bain & Co. He has 10 years' private
equity experience and 5 years' clean tech experience.



    Simon Drury: Simon was formerly a Partner at Charterhouse
Capital Partners. He has 18 years' private equity experience and 4 years'
clean tech experience.



    About the Investors



    Alpinvest: Alpinvest Partners is the leading independent private equity
investment manager in the world and has over EUR35 billion under management



    Robeco: Robeco is the asset-management center of the Rabobank Group
providing investment products and services to around 700 institutional and
1.5 million private clients worldwide. Established in Rotterdam in 1929,
Robeco is a pure-play asset manager with an active investment style with EUR
141.7 billion assets under management.



    HSBC: HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services
organisations in the world. HSBC's international network comprises over
10,000 offices in 83 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific
region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.



    USS: Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is the second largest
pension scheme in the UK by fund size. USS is the principal pension scheme
designed exclusively for academic and academically-related staff in UK
universities and certain other institutions engaged in higher education and
research.



    Alliance Trust: Alliance Trust is an international investment and
financial services group, specialising in fund management, pensions and
investment services. Alliance Trust PLC is currently the UK's largest
generalist investment trust company investing on a global basis across all
major markets and sectors.



    Bankinter: Bankinter is the sixth largest bank in Spain, is a reference
entity in the Spanish financial sector thanks to its high technological
development, quality service and strong commitment in innovation and the
utilization of alternative channels in its relation with customers. At the
end of the first half of 2007, the bank showed a net income of 251,14 million
EUR, and 46.306 million EUR in total assets."



    Woelbern Group: Woelbern are a Hamburg based privately-owned finance
house involved in all asset classes.They are involved in wealth management,
private equity, global transport and offer various closed end fund management
products including property and endowment funds to private investors.



    Harcourt: Harcourt AG is one of the global leading providers of
alternative investment solutions for institutional investors



    Frequently Asked Questions:



    What is the investment criteria of the fund?



    CPE invests its funds in expansion and later stage companies
including buyouts. The targeted investment size is EUR5-20 million per
portfolio company, typically as a lead or co-lead investor and with active
board participation.



    How is the fund structured?



    CPE is a typical private equity structure with a ten year life and
initial five year investment period.



    What is the expected return rate?



    The expected return rate is comparable to other private equity funds



    How big is the market opportunity?



    The Global Investment in Clean Technology was US$5.8 billion in 2006
giving a 58% growth rate on the previous year. In March 2007 the 27 EU member
states agreed on a binding target of 20% of EU energy consumption to come
from renewable sources by 2020. The EU also agreed to cut CO2 emission levels
by 20% at 1990 levels by 2020.



    About Climate Change Capital



    Climate Change Capital ("CCC") http://www.climatechangecapital.com is a
leading investment banking group specialising in the commercial opportunities
created by the low carbon economy. It advises and invests in companies who
recognise that combating global warming is both a necessity and an economic
opportunity. Its activities, which also include investment management and
financing emission reductions, aim to make the world's environment cleaner
while delivering attractive financial returns.



    CCC operates three transactional teams:



    - Carbon Markets: develops and manages funds that invest in GHG reduction
projects and their underlying assets, primarily in the developing world. The
funds also invest in companies that provide technologies or services
facilitating GHG reductions. The Climate Change Capital Carbon Funds have
over EUR800 million under management.



    - Asset Management: Develops and manages funds that invest in companies,
projects and technologies that provide products or services facilitating
climate change mitigation or adaptation. Through the Ventus group of listed
Venture Capital Trusts and The Climate Change Capital Private Equity Fund,
CCC has in excess of EUR250 million under management for investing in clean
technology, clean fuels and renewable energy.



    - Advisory: provides financial, strategic and policy advice to
energy-intensive industries, financial institutions, clean technology
companies and governments.



    CCC bridges the gap between the worlds of finance and policy, combining
the talents of policy makers and energy experts with the discipline of
investment banking plus committed capital, to ensure our clients are well
positioned to prosper from the new energy economy.



    Climate Change Capital Limited is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Services Authority.



    
    Enquiries:

    CPE

    Alex Betts
    +44-(0)-20-7939-5000
    abetts@c-c-capital.com

    Bruno Derungs
    +44-(0)-20-7939-5000
    bderungs@c-c-capital.com

    Simon Drury
    +44-(0)-20-7939-5000
    sdrury@c-c-capital.com

    Climate Change Capital
    James Burnham
    +44-(0)-20-7939-5000
    jburnham@c-c-capital.com


Climate Change Capital