Quantum Energy Partners provides an update on recent enhancements to its long standing ESG program

HOUSTON, May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quantum Energy Partners (“Quantum” or the “firm”), a leading private capital firm that invests across the global energy value chain, announced a variety of enhancements to its long-standing Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) initiatives.

The firm was founded in 1998 on strong principles of health, safety and environmental stewardship and then significantly revamped and formalized its approach into an ESG framework in 2013 in collaboration with many of its key stakeholders. During the course of 2020 and 2021 the firm has implemented a variety of changes to its comprehensive ESG framework and implementation timelines.   

First, Quantum has hired Keila Hand to join its leadership team and serve as its Head of ESG. Prior to joining Quantum, Hand led Crown Holding’s Global Sustainably program, where she was responsible for companywide sustainability strategy, implementation regulatory affairs. Prior to joining Crown, Hand was Sustainability Director at PepsiCo, where she led the company’s strategy and initiatives in Asia, Middle East and North Africa. Hand also led corporate sustainability partnerships at the World Wildlife Fund and was part of environmental science projects at NASA. Hand holds a Masters in Environmental Engineering from the University Campinas, a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University, and M.B.A. from the Federal University of Rondonia.

Hand has assumed the senior leadership role responsible for stewarding Quantum’s successful and long-standing ESG efforts. She will work closely with Quantum’s executive leadership, limited partners and other industry stakeholders to expand the breadth and impact of Quantum’s ESG strategy and implementation programs. She will also work closely with Quantum’s portfolio companies to support the continued innovation and implementation of best practices and technologies across the Quantum portfolio.

Hand commented, “I am delighted to join Quantum Energy Partners, a market-leading energy private equity firm with a long history of environmental and social stewardship. Building on my prior experience in corporate sustainability and environmental conservation, I look forward to working with Quantum’s investment teams and its stakeholders to provide the energy society demands to enhance peoples’ lives and power a modern world, while offering the ESG solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing priorities through our daily investment decisions.”

Secondly, over the past six months Quantum has become a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (“PRI”). This highlights the firm’s commitment to expand and improve how it incorporates material ESG factors into investment decision-making. The incorporation of PRI reporting frameworks into Quantum’s existing ESG data collection and reporting highlights the firm’s commitment to industry wide collaboration and best practices in sustainability. Quantum will also incorporate the recommendations of leading agencies and non-governmental organizations like the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”), the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”), Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”) in the continued expansion of its ESG program.

Thirdly, Quantum has also become a signatory to Institutional Limited Partners Association (“ILPA”) new Diversity in Action initiative. Quantum has had a long-standing and demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and this recent effort simply further affirms Quantum’s commitments in this regard. The firm is excited to be one of the early signatories to this comprehensive effort by ILPA to address these important issues in the alternative asset management industry.

Finally, Quantum is also pleased to report on its continued collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund (“EDF”) on best practices in methane detection and reporting. In 2020 Quantum and EDF collaborated to offer the first Private Equity Methane Solutions Summit looking at methane mitigation options and best practices. In Q2 2021, a second Methane Solutions Summit will be co-hosted by Quantum and EDF focusing on monitoring, quantification and target setting. On an unrelated note, Quantum has recently also invested in two new companies that are focused on ESG best practices and implementation across industries. Project Canary is a Denver based company that offers continuous monitoring solutions for methane and also provides supply chain certification for responsibly sourced natural gas. FigBytes, on the other hand is an Ottawa based company that provides companies with software and tools to track and compile ESG data across their businesses.

Dheeraj Verma, President of Quantum stated, “Quantum remains passionate about investing and stewarding capital in the most responsible and transparent manner. We are excited to welcome Keila to our leadership team to further enhance our stewardship efforts across our ESG programs. She brings a fresh, global perspective to our ongoing efforts and has a strong operational background that will serve our portfolio companies and us well over the coming years. As a firm, we are committed to action and implementation while many others are still busy discussing concepts and ideas. We aim to hold ourselves and our companies to the highest standards and will approach our ESG initiatives with the same sense of urgency and excellence as we approach all of our investing activities.”

ABOUT QUANTUM ENERGY PARTNERS
Founded in 1998, Quantum Energy Partners is a leading provider of private equity capital to the global energy industry, having managed together with its affiliates more than $17 billion in equity commitments since inception.  For more information on Quantum, please visit www.quantumep.com or contact Michael Dalton at (713) 452-2110.