Malaysia’s Bintang Capital First Southeast Asian Firm to Win UN-Supported PRI Award
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- Bintang Capital Partners Bhd, a Malaysian impact investment firm, has become the first company in Southeast Asia to win the prestigious United Nations (UN)-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Awards.
It is also the first investment firm from Asia to receive the Private Markets Special Award.
The 2024 PRI Awards honour asset managers, asset owners, and service providers who have demonstrated leadership in responsible investment strategies and stewardship practices.
In a statement Wednesday, founder and chief executive officer Johan Rozali-Wathooth shared that Bintang Capital was one of the earliest Malaysian private sector signatories to the UN PRI at a time when impact investing was relatively new in Southeast Asia.
“The Bintang team is delighted that UN PRI has recognised our efforts within the Southeast Asia impact investing space.
“Our close collaboration with key stakeholders, such as governments, private sector investors, and developmental finance institutions, has helped raise awareness of impact investing as a powerful tool to address key challenges such as climate change and social inequality,” he said.
He added that this recognition comes at a significant time, with Malaysia set to chair ASEAN in 2025. Bintang hopes that Malaysia will take a leading role in advancing regional impact capital deployment.
The firm’s award-winning case study highlighted the strategies of its sequel funds, including BCP Asia Fund II (a sector-agnostic B Corp Propagator Fund) and Bintang Semiconductor Impact Fund I, the world’s first semiconductor industry impact fund with a gender-lens focus.
Both funds were designed to promote B Corp certification, drive carbon transition, and empower women through their investments.
These initiatives align with Malaysia’s sustainability initiatives, such as the Twelfth Malaysia Plan and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), which prioritises sustainability, carbon reduction, and social inclusion.
Bintang Capital also integrates periodic third-party carbon footprint audits to help portfolio companies develop actionable carbon transition strategies, supporting the NETR’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Minister of Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad commended Bintang’s commitment to impact investment and sustainability.
“This achievement comes at a pivotal moment as Malaysia advances its sustainability agenda with the launch of the National Climate Change Policy 2.0 and other sustainability blueprints.
“Bintang’s efforts are not just setting new benchmarks in sustainable finance but are also critical in supporting our nation’s vision for a resilient and sustainable future,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
