Former US Secretary of Energy to speak at the launch of Amwal - Performance Environment

Environmental issues are the source of a growing concern, and have been triggering the launch of several initiatives in the GCC recently.

Indeed, beyond the consequences on the planet of carbon dioxide emissions and other polluting substances, there are plenty of topics currently requiring urgent attention. The projected increase in the world population (which could nearly double within the next 50 years), occurring to a large extent in underdeveloped areas, is likely to have a severe impact not only on gas emissions, but on water treatment and waste recycling needs. This will add to a rather suboptimal situation, where currently less than 25% of used waters are treated and less than 15% of waste is recycled.

This context is behind the development of a fast growing environment-related industry, driven by both private and public initiatives, and with tremendous funding needs. However, this growth is also an area of new opportunities for investors. According to Mr. Nicolas Rochon "the ability to scout new legislation and to have an in-depth understanding of the industrial and financial implications of new environmental regulations enables to deliver superior return to investors".

Nicolas Rochon is a Partner at Financiere de Champlain, the Fund Manager of Performance Environment, a high performing environmental fund distributed on an exclusive basis in the GCC by Amwal. The growth of the assets managed by Financiere de Champlain which have reached $850m (vs.$100m two years ago) together with the increase in market capitalization of the sector worldwide bear witness that environmental needs should also be looked at as a catalyst for social, economic and financial growth, and not only as a burden for the community.