Border to Coast in new £2.7BN private markets commitments

3 June 2021

Border to Coast Pensions Partnership (“Border to Coast”), one of the largest public sector pension pools in the UK with total assets of c.£55bn, has raised an additional £2.7 billion of commitments for its Private Markets investment programme as it continues to deliver new investment opportunities for its local government Partner Funds.

The commitments from ten Partner Funds (for Series 1C) represent a 90% increase in commitments for the first two tranches and brings Border to Coast’s Private Market programme to £5.7 billion. The new commitments will be invested over the next year in Private Equity, Infrastructure and Private Credit to provide a diversified range of investments. As a long-term investor, Border to Coast investments fully embed Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into the investment process.

Mark Lyon, Head of Internal Management at Border to Coast, said: “The increase in commitments by our Partner Funds reflects the importance of Private Markets to deliver their investment strategies, and underscores the confidence they have in Border to Coast to deliver the right investment opportunities for them.”

“As long-term investors we recognise the real value in integrating ESG factors, giving us a richer understanding of risks and opportunities in potential investments. Through our open and transparent due diligence process we look forward to working with strategic partners who share our long term approach to investing.”

Border to Coast is leading the industry to improve the integration of ESG factors into Private Markets. As part of this it is working with investment consultant Albourne, which recently launched a new Private Markets ESG framework, based on the recommended due diligence questions set out by the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment and covers Policy and Governance; Investment Process and Monitoring; and Reporting.

Funds participating in Series 1C included Bedfordshire, Cumbria, Durham, East Riding, North Yorkshire, Surrey, South Yorkshire, Teesside, Tyne & Wear and Warwickshire.

Source: Border to Coast