Canadian investment manager has teamed up with Chinook Forest Partners
Quebec’s CDPQ has taken a minority stake in US natural capital investment manager Chinook Capital Partners as it builds a platform for sustainable investment in US forestland.
The platform will invest significant capital enabling it to build a portfolio of forestland in the Pacific Northwest region that is diversified and high quality. The investment will be managed by Chinook, which has been around since 2018 but has a team with more than 60 years of experience in the natural resource investment space.
"We are thrilled to partner with Chinook as we look to deploy our constructive capital to contribute to the preservation and sustainable management of lands in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, the world's second largest forest area," said Emmanuel Jaclot, executive vice-president and head of Infrastructure at CDPQ. "By investing in forestland, we are not only protecting valuable natural assets but also contributing to the transition towards a greener economy."
CDPQ established its Sustainable Land Management initiative in 2020 and this latest investment is part of that. Its focus is investing for long term positive environmental impact with the highest ESG standards and includes partnerships with industry leaders in sustainable timberland, agriculture, wetlands restoration, carbon capture and species protection across the United States and Australia.
Around half of America’s Pacific Northwest region’s forestland is owned by the US federal government with the rest owned by commercial and non-commercial private, and state entities. The forestland is extensive, with 16 forests and a total area of approximately 25 million acres, offering an exciting opportunity for CDPQ and its new partner.
"This partnership represents a fantastic opportunity to efficiently deploy capital while increasing operational efficiencies across our forestland ownership base, which will better serve our investors", said Scott Marshall, founding partner and CEO of Chinook Forest Partners.
