Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners impressed the independent panel of IJGlobal judges with the work it put in during the judging period to implement technologies across its managed portfolios that enable its shift to being a more ESG-compliant investor.

The fund manager was awarded the technology prize for what it describes in its submission as “directly supporting the focus of the upcoming COP26, investing in solutions that genuinely can drive climate, environmental and human impact solutions on a broader scale”.

The judging team for the IJGlobal ESG Awards was impressed by the “pioneer approach” Quinbrook has taken towards “addressing artificial intelligence and blockchain” saying it has “placed technology at the heart of its investment strategy to enable the transition to clean energy”.

The broad consensus wat that Quinbrook “impresses with the breadth of its engagement in new technologies” while setting itself “the right goals to aim for”.

One judge says: “Quinbrook provided several interesting and specific examples as to how they are using technology within their portfolio to facilitate the climate transition. We particularly admired how they are designing solar sites from a new, ecological perspective in order to reduce the negative impacts on local biodiversity.”

Another judge adds: “Quinbrook submitted an impressively thoughtful submission in relation to their use of technology to address critical issues that have the ability to support and drive climate, environmental and human impact solutions. Their approach was the antithesis of those who still view it as sufficient to finance a few clean energy transactions.”

“Technology-enabled solutions for grid synchronicity removing coal from the grid, AI-driven energy and grid control systems… these are innovative areas and enabling the shift to a low carbon energy system,” rounds off another judge.

Quinbrook managing partner David Scaysbrook says: “Quinbrook has deep conviction that advanced capabilities in data science, analytics, artificial intelligence and blockchain, are just a few of the game changing technological breakthroughs that will create both winners and losers in the profound energy transition now underway.

“More importantly, rather than viewing these developments as threats, we have embraced them as opportunities to progress our capabilities as an investment manager of new and of course, very long term infrastructure investments that are seeking to rapidly decarbonize key industries, starting with power generation.

“This is not an easy thing to do, requiring some re-wiring of our thinking and processes and ‘teaching some old dogs new tricks’ in our firm… including our managing partners!

“Nevertheless, it is offering numerous revelations that we had not fully appreciated beforehand. We feel we have a long way still to go, but we have a better understanding and appreciation of where these technological drivers of fundamental change are likely to take us.”