Sean Conlon and John Melloy of CNBC report Dow drops almost 900 points, S&P 500 declines the most since April after Trump’s new China tariff threat:

Stocks settled decidedly lower after a rapid decline on Friday following President Donald Trump’s threat of higher tariffs on China, in which he accused the country of “becoming very hostile” with its restrictions on rare earth metals, a key resource for the tech and defense industries.

Stocks accelerated selling into the close, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing down 878.82 points, or 1.9%, at 45,479.60. The S&P 500 lost 2.71% to settle at 6,552.51, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 3.56% to 22,204.43. The broad-based index’s decline was the largest since April 10. Prior to Trump’s comments, stocks were sizably higher, with the Nasdaq hitting a new all-time intraday high.

“I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” said Trump in a post on Truth Social. “One of the policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America.”

Trump accused China of holding the globe “captive” using its rare earths metals resources. Earlier this week, China tightened their control on the market requiring foreign entities to get a license from Beijing to export anything that contains rare earths worth 0.1% or more of the value of the goods.

“Expectations for a China trade deal just got swept off the table,” said Jeff Kilburg, founder of KKM Financial. “Profit takers are out in full force.”

Wall Street’s fear gauge – the CBOE Volatility index – spiked above 22, ending about 4 months of a placid upward grind for the S&P 500 to record highs. The move signaled that traders were rushing to buy protection in the options market against an even bigger decline for the benchmark.

Shares of tech stocks with the most to lose from souring trade relations with China led the rapid sell-off Friday. Nvidia lost about 5%, while AMD dropped almost 8% and Tesla shed around 5%. Meanwhile, U.S. crude oil fell as investors grew increasingly concerned that higher tariffs might ultimately weigh on demand.

“It’s not surprising to see technology related stocks down the most today as they have significant exposure to China in both manufacturing and as a large customer,” Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth, told CNBC. “Clearly, our relationship with the second largest economy in the world just got more difficult,” he said.

The setback with China came as the U.S. government shutdown dragged into its 10th day on Friday, adding to the bearish sentiment to close out the week. The Senate failed for a seventh time Thursday to pass dueling stop-gap funding proposals that would have put an end to the stoppage. At this point, there have been no signs that Republicans and Democrats have made meaningful progress on negotiations.

With the ongoing shutdown, layoffs of federal workers “have begun,” Trump administration budget chief Russell Vought said in a social media post Friday.

Friday’s declines wiped out the S&P 500′s gain for the week, as the benchmark lost 2.4% for the period. The Nasdaq and the Dow also saw weekly losses of 2.5% and 2.7%, respectively. 

After the close, Trump laid down the hammer, putting an extra 100% tariff on Chinese imports, and adding export controls on ‘critical software’:

President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States would impose new tariffs of 100% on imports from China “over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying,” starting on Nov. 1.

Trump also said that the U.S., on that same date, would also impose export controls on “any and all critical software.”

The president’s announcement came hours after he threatened to slap “a massive increase” of tariffs on Chinese imports in retaliation for new controls that China imposed on exports of rare earths minerals from that nation.

Around 70% of the global supply of rare earths minerals comes from China. The minerals are essential for high-tech industries, including automobiles, defense and semiconductors.

Trump suggested earlier Friday that he would cancel a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea because of China’s new controls.

Nearly every product imported into the U.S. from China already faces steep tariffs. While there are different levels of specific duties on imports, ranging from 50% on steel and aluminum, to 7.5% on consumer goods, the so-called effective tariff rate on Chinese imports currently is 40%, according to Wells Fargo Economics and analysts at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

“It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the World, stating that they were going to, effective November 1st, 2025, impose large scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday.

“This affects ALL Countries, without exception, and was obviously a plan devised by them years ago. It is absolutely unheard of in International Trade, and a moral disgrace in dealing with other Nations,” Trump wrote.

“Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the U.S.A., and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying,” he wrote.

“Also on November 1st, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software.”

China’s Ministry of Commerce on Thursday said that starting Dec. 1 foreign entities must have a license to export products that contain more than 0.1% of rare earths sourced from that country, or that are manufactured using Chinese extraction, refining, magnet-making or recycling technology.

It's Friday so I will be brief with my market comment.

As I told my friends earlier: "The good thing about Trump is he's predictable and the bad thing about Trump is he's predictable."

He typically loves to lash out on Friday and maybe today he was irritated he wasn't chosen for this year's Nobel Peace prize (but might be a contender next year).

I don't know but today's announcement of retaliatory tariffs against China seems too orchestrated, as if Trump was watching CNBC and was worried the market melt-up was going parabolic so he stepped in to cool things down.

Whatever the case, prior to Friday, the market was melting up this week led by Nvidia and other shares making a new 52-week high. 

It was also a great week for Canadian miner Trilogy Metals (TMQ) after the US announced it's taking a 10% stake and other rare earth mining companies like USA Rare Earth Inc (USAR) and MP Materials Corp (MP).

Gold keeps making a record high due to geopolitical concerns, fears of stagflation and the debasement of currencies. 

Quantum computing stocks and other speculative stocks were ripping higher all week till Friday.

So what do I make of the latest tariff tantrum? Not much, I ignore it and will let things calm down next week and hear what the big US banks have to say when they report earnings.

I'm expecting incredible earnings from all of the big US banks led by the leader, JPMorgan.

Why? Deal activity (M&A) is up, trading revenues are up, loans continue to do well, the US economy is slowing but doing relatively well. 

Earnings will be the driving force for stocks going forward but FOMO is still present and many portfolio managers will buy the dips on large cap tech shares to make up for their underperformance.

All this to say forget about another global trade war, buy the dip on stocks. 

Below, Tom Lee, Fundstrat, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss Lee's take on the day's market action, where the buying opportunity lies and much more.

Also, Warren Pies, 3Fourteen Research co-founder, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss what catches his eye the most, concerns around trade policy and much more.

Third, Mohamed El-Erian, Allianz chief economic advisor, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss El-Erian's thoughts on the recent equity selloff, the current government shutdown and much more.

Lastly, Mary Lovely, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics shares her thoughts on President Trump announcing additional 100% tariffs on China and what to make of this. She talks about whether this announcement will move the US & China further apart, if President Trump’s and President Xi Jinping’s meeting will happen or be canceled, and the increase in export controls. Mary Lovely speaks with Joe Mathieu on the late edition of Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power.”

Earlier today, Ontario Teachers’ announced the appointment of Christopher Metrakos as Executive Managing Director, Infrastructure & Natural Resources:

Toronto, Canada -- Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers') today announces the appointment of Christopher Metrakos to the position of Executive Managing Director, Infrastructure & Natural Resources (INR), effective immediately. In this role, based in the Toronto office, Mr. Metrakos will be responsible for guiding INR’s strategy, portfolio, and asset management activities globally. 

Mr. Metrakos joined Ontario Teachers' in 2014 and most recently served as Senior Managing Director, Natural Resources, where he oversaw a global, diversified portfolio that spans agriculture, aquaculture, energy, metals, timberland, and natural climate solutions. Prior to joining Ontario Teachers’, he worked in the energy sector as well as in investment banking.

In his new role, Mr. Metrakos will become a permanent member of the Investments Senior Leadership Team and report to Gillian Brown, Chief Investment Officer, Public & Private Investments.

“Investments in infrastructure and natural resources play a critical role in providing the fund with diversifying returns, inflation protection, and stable cash flows that help pay pensions. Chris’s leadership, demonstrated success in driving strong investment returns, and sound judgement make him the ideal person to step into this pivotal role,” said Ms. Brown. 

Mr. Metrakos holds a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Economics, from McGill University and is a CFA charterholder. He also has an ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

About Ontario Teachers’

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers') is a global investor with net assets of $269.6 billion as at June 30, 2025. Ontario Teachers’ is a fully funded defined benefit pension plan, and it invests in a broad array of asset classes to deliver retirement security for 343,000 working members and pensioners. For more information, visit otpp.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 

Let me begin by congratulating Chris Metrakos on this important appointment.

Chris will be overseeing one of the most important asset classes at Teachers', taking over the role from Dale Burgess who was recently appointed the Head of Equities (Public and Private).

Chris is succeeding top people like Dale and before him Andrew Claerhout who preceded Dale and might have hired both of them (he definitely hired Dale).

Even though we both graduated from McGill Economics and have Greek roots, I never met Chris but I have tracked more than a few of his deals on my blog, most recently back in April when OTPP sold its remaining free cash flow stake in New Afton Mine (see comment here). 

He has a proven track record in natural resources and will now be in charge on Teacher's large infrastructure portfolio as well, one of the best institutional infrastructure portfolios in the world.

These two portfolios, natural resources and infrastructure, are complementary, they're both very long-term asset classes that offer important inflation protection to the plan and solid yields over the long run. 

Chris will be reporting to Gillian Brown, the CIO Public & Private Markets who again made the wise decision to promote from within (with Jo Taylor's stamp of approval, of course).

I'm a big believer of promoting from within a pension fund/ plan because if you have internal candidates, they already know the organization's culture and are going to hit the ground running. 

Bringing someone from the outside carries huge risks, most of the time it ends badly, seen it at OTPP and other large Canadian pension funds.

Always promote from within as long as you have the requisite talent and experience. 

Now, I know Dale and Chris are white males but I don't really give a damn about the DEI police, I want to see the right people at the right positions.

If Olivia Steedman was still part of OTPP's INR group, no doubt she would be the head now but she left to head up Teachers' Venture Growth. 

And if Andrew Claerhout was still at OTPP, no doubt in my mind, he would be a huge contender to succeed Jo Taylor at the next CEO.

I call it like I see it, I've had my fill on DEI cheerleading at the Maple 8, most of it is total nonsense. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm a sticker for DEI, real DEI, not window dressing nonsense but I also think you need to promote the right people in key spots regardless of their age, gender, religion, colour of their skin and disability (not that anyone disabled ever makes it to senior management positions at these places, more proof of DEI fluff). 

Alright, let me just end by once again congratulating Chris Metrakos for this important nomination.

Lastly, before I forget, Teachers' posted a great PE Real Assets interview on LinkedIn featuring their Global Head of Real Estate Pierre Cherki, alongside their Head of European Real Estate, Jenny Hammarlund, sharing how they are shifting priorities across sectors and regions to capture long-term growth and manage the cycle, while building a portfolio designed to deliver long term returns for their members. 

Click here to read that interview. 

All can say is both Pierre Cherki and Jenny Hammarlund are doing a great job diversifying Teacher's real estate portfolio internationally and Jenny has caught my attention a few times with the deals she's completed in Europe.

Alright, let me wrap it up there, I don't get paid enough t share my wisdom with all of you!

Below, Stewart Upson, Co-President of Brookfield Infrastructure in charge of APAC, discusses AI infrastructure with CNBC Squawk Box Asia. 

Listen carefully to his insights, Brookfield leads the crowd in infrastructure.

Layan Odeh and Lu Wang of Bloomberg report US Treasury bonds are at risk of losing their haven status should US fiscal stress continue to build, according to CPP Investments' Manroop Jhooty:

US Treasury bonds are at risk of losing their haven status should US fiscal stress continue to build, according to Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

“We worry that if the fiscal scenario continues for a period of time” the Treasury market could stop being a haven, Manroop Jhooty, the pension plan’s head of total fund management, said in an interview. 

The remark comes as the US government shutdown over fiscal spending drags on and market participants increasingly sound warnings over the dollar’s fate.

The pension plan, which manages C$731.7 billion ($524.3 billion), invests across several asset classes globally, and considers bonds to be “good diversifier in any asset allocation strategy,” Jhooty said. For now, CPPIB is sticking to its US exposure, with the country making up roughly half of its holdings.

But the concern about the long-term fiscal situation in the US is that Treasuries could begin “to lose this diversification effect because it looks more and more like a risky asset and less and less like a risk-free asset,” he said. 

Billionaire investors are worrying that gold is increasingly seen as safer than the US dollar. Ray Dalio said earlier that gold is “certainly” more of a haven than the US dollar and that the bullion rally is reminiscent of the 1970s, when it surged during a time of high inflation and economic instability. 

Dalio’s comments echo those of Citadel’s Ken Griffin, who said gold’s rise reflects anxiety about the US currency. 

The dollar has weakened against every major currency this year after the uncertainty unleashed by President Donald Trump’s trade war sent it into the biggest slide since the 1970s, not long after the US abandoned the gold standard.

In the meantime, the US federal government shutdown and speculation that the Federal Reserve will keep cutting interest rates has pushed the price of gold up by more than 20% since the end of July, to roughly $4,000 an ounce. 

While the Toronto-based pension plan thinks the US Treasury market has held up better than its counterparts in the UK and Japan, where similar fiscal angst exists, “certainly gold has been a beneficiary as an alternative store of risk-free assets,” Jhooty said, adding that European currencies such as the Swiss franc are other “stores of value.”

I really don't know why Bloomberg harped on these comments because as you'll see below Manroop's discussion was a lot broader than US Treasuries, really delving deeply into total fund management and what they do.

He goes over what the total fund management group at CPP Investments' does and makes the distinction between what they do from a top down perspective relative to a bottom up perspective where investment teams investing in private credit, private equity and other assets are taking tactical opportunities. 

From a top down perspective, they're focused on big themes like AI, deglobalization and bilateral trade blocks, reshoring vs offshoring, fiscal deficits across the globe. 

He questioned whether bonds will remain the great diversifier in a world where deficits are exploding around the world.

He did say there is an opportunity on the fiscal side if deficits are used to make investments in nation building giving Germany as an example where they announced big infrastructure projects.

Lastly, he talked about macro headwinds like weakening labour markets, a bifurcation of the US consumer where the top 10% dominate consumption and said there are tailwinds but macro headwinds are counterbalancing them.

Public vs private markets, he said they need enough liquidity in the balance sheet to move where the opportunities are. He said they focus on relative value in public vs public markets and break down IRRs to really think about opportunities and where capital is best deployed.

He also said private equity allocation ballooned post-Covid because of market dynamics as IPOs and sales to strategics slowed and recently they have been able to dispose of assets (secondaries also played a big role there as CPP Investments sold a lot of funds stakes last year).

Lastly, he said they are very bullish on Canada where there is unanimous political will for nation building to build major projects.

Anyway, take the time to listen to Manroop, he's s smart guy and great communicator.

Below, Manroop Jhooty, Senior Managing Director & Head of Total Fund Management, CPP Investments discusses how the pension fund is navigating today's market landscape with Bloomberg's Amanda Cantrell at the 2025 Bloomberg Canadian Finance Conference in New York.

Also, Caitlin Gubbels, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Private Equity at CPP Investments, discusses the rise of the secondaries market, and how the Fund is backing Canada’s AI ecosystem.

Caitlin discusses how important secondaries have become to manage their PE portfolio, manage liquidity and diversify vintage year risk (that's what it's all about in PE).

Lastly, Brandon Weening, Executive Vice President, Corporate & Capital Markets Finance, OMERS discusses the Canadian public pension fund's investment priorities with Bloomberg's Chunzi Xu at the 2025 Bloomberg Canadian Finance Conference in New York. 

Brandon is another really smart guy really worth listening to.

Bloomberg reports Goldman’s Verdalia raises €671 million to fund biomethane plants: 

Verdalia Bioenergy, a biomethane firm backed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., has raised €671 million ($785 million) of debt from a large banking consortium to fund projects across Spain and Italy.

The corporate financing will help the company increase its aggregate production capacity to more than 3 terawatt hours per year, equivalent to the yearly consumption of almost 1 million households, according to a statement reviewed by Bloomberg News.

The new financing, covering biomethane plants construction as well as acquisitions, was provided by a group of banks: ING Groep NV, Societe Generale SA, UniCredit SpA, BBVA SA, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Banco Santander SA and Banco de Sabadell SA. Investors La Caisse and Rivage also participated.

Biomethane, a renewable gas that can be made from food and animal waste or other organic matter, is supported by European government incentives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, spurring investment by companies such as Shell Plc and TotalEnergies SE.

Verdalia has seven plants in operation and six under construction in Italy, which are expected to start injecting biomethane into the grid in early 2026. In Spain, Verdalia is currently building its first plant and will start constructing two additional facilities by the end of this year.

Rothschild & Co. acted as financial adviser for the transaction. 

Ashurst also notes it has advised Verdalia Bioenergy Limited in one of the largest biomethane financing operations in Europe:

Ashurst has advised Verdalia Bioenergy Limited, as legal counsel in the closing of a landmark €671m financing, one of the largest financings in the European biomethane sector to date and first corporate infrastructure financing deal for a largely greenfield company.

In this deal, Verdalia Bioenergy Limited, the biomethane company backed by Goldman Sachs Alternatives’ infrastructure fund, has secured a €671 million financing for the acquisition and development of biomethane production portfolios in Spain and Italy with a combined capacity in excess of 3 TWh/year, equivalent to the annual consumption of nearly one million households.

The total capital to be deployed in the portfolio will exceed €1 billion. The financing, structured to provide strategic flexibility, will cover biomethane plants construction as well as acquisitions, giving Verdalia the tools to pursue both greenfield and brownfield growth over the next four years.

The transaction was supported by a consortium of leading international banks – ING, Société Générale, UniCredit, BBVA, SMBC, Santander and Sabadell – alongside global investment group La Caisse and Rivage.

The Ashurst Spanish team was led by partners Irian Saleta Martínez (Banking and Finance), Andrés Alfonso (Energy Transition) and Nicholas Pawson (English Law Finance). The team was supported by associate Ignacio Piñeiro and trainee Mercedes Fernández-Montes from the Banking and Finance department, associate Pedro Díaz from the Energy Transition team and senior associates Sam McLernon and Kalin Ivanov, associates Stephanie Simm and William Lotter, and trainee Hanna Smyk, all the latter from our English Law Finance team in Madrid. Tax matters were overseen by partner Ricardo García-Borregón and associate Enrique Muñoz.

The Ashurst Italian team was led by partner Carloandrea Meacci, assisted by counsel Nicola Toscano, senior associate Mariavittoria Zaccaria, and associate Stefano Tallamona in relation to the transactional aspects of the financing. Legal due diligence was handled by partner Elena Giuffrè, supported by senior associate Gianluca Di Stefano, associates Michela Bardelli, Marta Simoncelli, Francesca Sala, Marco Messina, Alessio Lisanti, Cecilia Bertanzetti, and trainee Matteo Perrone. Tax matters were overseen by partner Michele Milanese, with the support of associate Leonardo Sabatini and trainee Pier Paolo Capponi. 

Earlier today, La Caisse issued a press release stating Verdalia Bioenergy closes €671m landmark corporate financing to accelerate biomethane portfolio across Spain and Italy:

• One of the largest financings in the European biomethane sector to date and first corporate infrastructure financing deal for a largely greenfield company
• €671m fully committed package to support the development of a portfolio with a combined capacity in excess of 3 TWh/year
• Backed by a club of leading domestic and international banks and institutional investors

Verdalia Bioenergy today announced the closing of a landmark €671 million corporate financing, the first and largest of its kind in the European biomethane sector. The transaction will support the company’s investment plan to build and operate a portfolio of projects across Spain and Italy with an aggregate production capacity in excess of 3 TWh per year – equivalent to the annual consumption of nearly one million households. The total capital to be deployed in the portfolio will exceed €1 billion.

The financing, structured to provide strategic flexibility, will cover biomethane plants construction as well as acquisitions, giving Verdalia the tools to pursue both greenfield and brownfield growth over the next four years.

The portfolio already includes seven plants in operation and six under construction in Italy, which are expected to start injecting biomethane into the grid in early 2026. In Spain, Verdalia is currently building its first plant and will commence construction of two additional facilities before the end of this year.

The transaction was supported by a consortium of leading international banks – ING, Société Générale, UniCredit, BBVA, SMBC, Santander and Sabadell – alongside global investment group La Caisse and Rivage. Rothschild & Co acted as exclusive financial adviser.

Fernando Bergasa, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Verdalia Bioenergy, said:

“This milestone constitutes a big leap forward for Verdalia and for the biomethane industry in Europe. It demonstrates the trust of top-tier financial institutions in our strategy and underlines the role that renewable natural gas will play in achieving decarbonisation targets and energy independence.”

Matteo Botto Poala, Managing Director in Infrastructure at Goldman Sachs Alternatives and board member of Verdalia, added:

“We are proud to support Verdalia in this landmark transaction. This financing validates the ability to attract infrastructure capital into the biomethane sector and highlights the scalability and resilience of biomethane as a core pillar of Europe’s energy transition.”

Verdalia Bioenergy was advised by Rothschild & Co as exclusive financial adviser and Ashurst LLP as legal counsel. The lenders were advised by Latham & Watkins LLP. Palmer Agency Services acted as Agent.

Technical due diligence was provided by AFRY, commercial due diligence by BCG, ESG due diligence by ERM, insurance due diligence by Aon, and financial & tax due diligence by EY. 

About Verdalia Bioenergy

Verdalia Bioenergy Ltd was founded in early 2023 by Fernando Bergasa and Cristina Ávila, together with the Infrastructure fund of Goldman Sachs Alternatives. Verdalia aims to invest over €1 billion in developing, building or acquiring and operating large assets to become one of the leading pan‑European biomethane operators.

About Goldman Sachs Alternatives

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is one of the world’s leading alternative investors, with more than $450 billion in assets under management. Established in 2006, Infrastructure at Goldman Sachs Alternatives has consistently navigated the evolution of the infrastructure asset class, having invested over $16 billion since inception. The business partners with experienced operators and management teams across multiple sectors, including energy transition, digital infrastructure, transportation and logistics, and circular economy.

This is a huge financing deal where La Caisse joined top international lenders to help Verdalia Bioenergy grow its operations in Europe.

 According to the press release, the transaction will support the company’s investment plan to build and operate a portfolio of projects across Spain and Italy with an aggregate production capacity in excess of 3 TWh per year – equivalent to the annual consumption of nearly one million households. The total capital to be deployed in the portfolio will exceed €1 billion.

Moreover, the financing, structured to provide strategic flexibility, will cover biomethane plants construction as well as acquisitions, giving Verdalia the tools to pursue both greenfield and brownfield growth over the next four years. 

Verdalia is growing fast. Last year, it acquired 7 biomethane plants in Italy from Green Arrow Capital and Lazzari & Lucchini

This deal accelerates Verdalia’s development in Europe and further contributes to the country’s decarbonisation and energy independence agenda. The transaction will allow Verdalia to become one of the largest operators of agricultural biomethane plants in Italy.

London, 21st May 2024 – Verdalia Bioenergy, a European biomethane company founded by the infrastructure funds of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Fernando Bergasa and Cristina Ávila, has agreed to acquire a portfolio of operating biomethane plants in Italy (the “portfolio”) from funds controlled by Green Arrow Capital, a leading Italian alternative investment manager, and Lazzari & Lucchini, a leading energy developer, subject to the completion of certain standard conditions for this type of transaction.

The portfolio consists of 7 plants located in the province of Brescia, with an approximate combined production capacity of 190 GWh of biomethane derived from a processing capacity of 350,000 tonnes of raw materials per year, with scope to expand by more than 50%. The plants have started operations at different dates in the 4 last years and produce biomethane solely through the processing of animal residues and agricultural by-products not intended for human consumption. The portfolio will help to avoid approximately 65,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

Verdalia Bioenergy was launched in February 2023 by Fernando Bergasa and Cristina Ávila, executives with a strong track record of value creation and operational excellence in the natural gas sector, in partnership with Goldman Sachs Asset Management with the aim of investing by 2026 in excess of €1 billion to develop, acquire, own and operate biomethane plants across Europe. In March 2023, Verdalia completed its first acquisition of a portfolio of biomethane projects under development in Spain, with a total capacity of around 150 GWh/year. Since inception, Verdalia has made significant progress, with a team of 50 people today and a pipeline of mid- to late-stage development projects in Spain and Italy in excess of 2.5 TWh.

The acquisition of the portfolio solidifies Verdalia’s presence in Europe and positions the company as one of the leading biomethane players in the continent with a high-quality infrastructure business model. Verdalia will look into expanding the portfolio’s production capacity and monetising the by-products including bio-fertiliser and biogenic CO2 under offtake agreements. Verdalia continues to seek new opportunities to expand by acquiring projects in operation and under development, establishing partnerships with EPCs and long-term agreements with offtakers and feedstock providers, while growing its team.

Fernando Bergasa, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Verdalia Bioenergy, added: “We are very pleased with the progress made in the past twelve months: we have initiated the development of an extensive portfolio of projects in Spain, built a very strong team and entered a new market, Italy. We believe Italy is at the forefront of the European decarbonisation agenda through biomethane with a supportive regulatory framework and are proud to demonstrate our commitment to the country’s energy transition plan through this important investment”.

Cristina Ávila, Co-Founder, President and COO of Verdalia Bioenergy, said: “The portfolio we are acquiring comprises 7 biomethane plants, and will be the stepping stone towards building strong operations in Italy. We continue to develop our expansion in Europe as we embark on this exciting chapter for Verdalia”.

Matteo Botto Poala, Managing Director in the Infrastructure business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, commented: “We are excited about the progress made by Verdalia, demonstrating once again Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s track record in being an early mover in investing in energy transition and scaling up successful platforms. We look forward to continuing to invest in European biomethane and attract talent to work with Verdalia’s top class management team”.

Biomethane (also referred to as renewable natural gas or RNG) is a negative or low carbon natural gas produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic waste. As a result, it is an effective tool to accelerate decarbonization; it provides the benefits of fossil natural gas without its carbon emissions while leveraging the large gas infrastructure already in place. The environmental benefits of biomethane are amplified as it prevents methane emissions that could otherwise be released into the atmosphere from the decomposition of organic waste.

Advisors

For this acquisition Verdalia Bioenergy was advised by Intesa Sanpaolo (M&A), Ashurst (legal), EY (financial and tax), Ramboll (technical and commercial) and ERM (environmental). Green Arrow and Lazzari & Lucchini were advised by MFZ Partners (M&A) and Parola Associati (legal).

Clearly Fernando Bergasa and Cristina Ávila (featured at the top of this post) know what they're doing which is why Goldman Sachs Asset Management help fund their biomethane company. 

As noted in the first article above, biomethane is a renewable gas that can be made from food and animal waste or other organic matter, and is supported by European government incentives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, spurring investment by companies such as Shell Plc and TotalEnergies SE.

It's an important component in achieving carbon neutrality and La Caisse is now financing these leading European firm to help grow its operations.

This deal shows you how La Caisse is investing in sustainable energy through many channels including financing deals, partnering up with leading global banks and investors.

Below, biomethane can be made of organic waste, like manure, food scraps or damaged crops, and is therefore a modern way of waste management. To REPowerEU and decarbonise our economy, the EU has set an ambitious, but realistic, target to produce 35 billion m2 of biomethane per year by 2030. Learn more about the benefits of biomethane – one of the main renewable gases of the future.

Also, biomethane, also known as renewable natural gas (RNG), is a clean and sustainable form of energy produced from biogas through a purification process. Biogas is generated from the anaerobic digestion of organic materials such as agricultural residues, animal manure, food waste, wastewater sludge, and dedicated energy crops. The production of biomethane involves several key steps like anaerobic digestion and biogas purification (watch the second clip below).

Chris Hall of Sustainable Investor caught up with UPP's CEO Barbara Zvan to discuss how to build a sustainable pension plan from scratch :

In 2020, Barbara Zvan took on a unique challenge, becoming the first CEO and President of the University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP). While most pension plan CEOs have faced the challenge of integrating ESG factors into their investment plans and business models, Zvan had the opportunity to build them into the foundations. 

But her approach was also informed from the lessons learned of a long career at the interface of investment, business and government. Before joining UPP, Zvan had spent 25 years at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), rising to the post of Chief Risk and Strategy Officer.

She also sat on the Canadian federal government’s Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance, its Sustainable Finance Action Council (SFAC) – an advisory body consisting of Canada’s 25 largest financial institutions – and now plays a leading role at Climate Engagement Canada (CEC). 

Direct value creation

A defining characteristic of larger Canadian pension schemes such as OTPP is their willingness and ability (often enshrined in founding mandates) to make direct investments in partnership with asset managers. Co-investments appeal to pension funds, explains Zvan, by helping to improve the risk and return profile of large-scale, long-term investments. 

“We were able to get exposure to inflation protection, for example, through the infrastructure and real estate portfolio. It gave us the ability to be on boards to influence value creation and risk management. That’s important because these pension plans have to take risk to meet their liabilities and to keep it affordable,” she says. 

Now Zvan is looking to leverage the experience of OTPP and other larger Canadian pension plans at UPP, which has a much smaller pool of assets (C$13 billion; US$9.5 billion). UPP initially provided pension plans to three universities, adding new clients at a rate of one a year since. 

To explore the case, Zvan co-authored a paper that analysed how Canada’s C$200 billion-plus AUM pension schemes used their resources and expertise to capture value through co-investments while addressing four groups of risk: concentration and reputation risk; operation and development risk; government interference; and weak governance structure. 

One example cited is Caisse des Dépots et Placements du Quebec’s investment in Montreal’s new metro system, during which the pension fund leveraged relationships with government, contractors and the public to help ensure stakeholder buy-in at the land expropriation stage, minimising costs and delays that could have compromised long-term returns. 

Along with schemes of a similar size to UPP, Zvan is exploring how co-investing can still offer advantages – but with a twist to the existing model. Sector expertise is important, partly to be able to make the right choices, she says, but also to demonstrate the credibility in the market to ensure plans are offered the deals that offer the best fit. 

“One of the key risk management attributes of doing private markets deals that you are tied into for a long time is having that deep sector expertise upfront in your risk management and your assessment,” she says.

UPP has focused on mid-market transactions, partly to avoid competition with large rivals, in sectors such as infrastructure – focused on climate-aligned solutions, including both green and transition assets – residential and industrial real estate in developed markets, as well as buy-out opportunities. 

The key, says Zvan, is investing in “institutional knowledge” over the long term.

“To keep that partnership with the general partner (GP) going, you need a really strong pit crew. These deals don’t happen just by the investor teams alone. You need a strong legal group, tax group, operational due diligence group, and responsible investment group,” she adds. 

Access to derivatives and synthetic securities was also a key prerequisite, the report observed, to enable smaller funds to supply liquidity at short notice.

ESG as talent attractor

Operational from July 2021, ESG factors were built into UPP’s approach “from the get-go”, rather than integrated into existing processes. Although UPP did inherit managers and portfolios from their founding three clients, there were no common technologies or policies, giving Zvan and team carte blanche to build from the ground up.   

Internally, this meant hiring the people with the right skills and capabilities, as well as implementing thorough due diligence upfront. 

“Everyone we hired is very aligned to what we’re trying to do around the integration of material ESG factors into the investments. We would say it’s a talent attractor,” says Zvan. 

Externally, it meant working with managers that bought into UPP’s climate investment transition framework, and were willing to go on a journey of ongoing improvement. 

Not only should managers regard climate as a systemic and financially material risk, and make some kind of measurable net zero commitment; UPP also asks them to identify areas of improvement on an annual basis, by leveraging an industry benchmark, for example, or addressing an aspect of their governance structure. 

“It’s continual and it’s to ensure progress,” says Zvan. 

Inevitably, UPP’s priorities have evolved as its assets have grown – focusing initially on balancing asset mix and securing inflation protection – with its panel of managers shifting accordingly. In parallel, the plan has moved away from pooled to segregated vehicles, in order to exercise greater control and influence, particularly from a sustainability perspective. 

“This is something we’ve been doing quietly in the background, so we can vote the way that we want, exclude the way we want and engage directly with companies,” Zvan says. 

UPP’s approach has been commended in the latest Canadian Pension Climate Report Card, published annually by Shift, a charity. The plan was awarded a B+ ranking, based partly on meeting its 2025 emissions intensity reduction target a year early, but also the robustness of its climate stewardship and climate transition investment frameworks. 

Shift nevertheless encouraged UPP to include time-bound criteria and reinforce escalation as part of its Paris-aligned, outcomes-based climate engagement activities, as well as setting tougher expectations, backed up by climate-related resolutions or votes against directors. It also called on the plan to strengthen its fossil fuel exclusions, including a commitment to a “time-bound and managed phase-out of existing fossil fuel assets”. 

Climate collaboration

To meet its target of reaching net zero financed emissions by 2040, UPP has been engaging with portfolio companies on climate and other sustainability issues directly and via a number of collaborative fora, both domestic and internally focused. 

For a relatively small scheme to manage the impact of its investments on the climate, partnership with other investors is essential, asserts Zvan. As well as CEC, UPP has worked with the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and Climate Action 100+. The common thread of the initiatives in which they participate is a clear and well-understood area of focus, she says. 

Another critical success factor for collaborative initiatives is flexibility, says Zvan. “One size does not fit all; maintaining flexibility in how they participate and how they contribute is key,” she observes. 

The three initiatives cited all include asset managers in their membership, who are both competitors and subject to obligations to shareholders and a network of regulators. Asset owners may not be competitors, but are subject to similar considerations, also differing according to factors such as culture and investment horizon. In the case of CEC, the initiative has expanded to include international investors alongside domestic ones, the better to present a range of perspectives to high-emitting corporates. 

Zvan says collaborative investor initiatives must regularly review the effectiveness of their support for the engagement teams of participating institutions, including by monitoring impact. This involves close coordination but also “deep dive research” into targeted areas such as capex alignment. 

“You have to measure progress. The benchmark assessment element of these initiatives is so important,” she says. 

UPP has also stepped up its bilateral engagement and stewardship capabilities, as part of its efforts to encourage portfolio firms to maintain momentum across climate-related governance, strategy, targets and disclosures. 

A significant step this year was the filing of a shareholder resolution at Alimentation Couche-Tard, asking the Quebec-based retailer to disclose an emissions reduction strategy. The resolution, which follows an extensive engagement process, asked the firm to set medium-term targets for material Scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions, in line with its peers, as well as setting out its approach to tackling Scope 3 emissions. 

In early September, more than a fifth of independent shareholders in Couche-Tard supported UPP’s resolution, making it the most supported climate-related proposal at the firm in seven years. 

“Couche-Tard has already acknowledged that its fuel and energy business faces material risks from the ongoing transition — including regulatory changes, shifting market demand, evolving technologies and changing consumption patterns — but management isn’t telling shareholders how it intends to manage these risks,” said Sarah Couturier-Tanoh, Director of Shareholder Advocacy at the Shareholder Association for Research and Education, which co-filed the resolution. 

UPP is also increasing its scrutiny of directors, monitoring their effectiveness at overseeing climate risk, and reserving the right to vote against them at future AGMs if they fall short. “That’s a very powerful tool,” says Zvan. 

Systemic engagement 

The importance UPP places on stewardship stems from its investment beliefs, which include the principle that UPP’s ability to deliver returns to beneficiaries depends on healthy and functioning financial, social and environmental systems. 

This implies a system-based approach to stewardship which emphasises the role of government in creating an enabling policy environment that encourages the private sector to address systemic risks, such as climate change.  

Zvan believes governments are moving too slowly, to the detriment of carbon-intensive sectors and firms that struggle to profitably transition to net zero. But her work on Canada’s SFAC has deepened her understanding of the “different worlds” inhabited by the public and private sectors, as well as the size, complexity, and fragmented nature of government.

Effective engagement with government requires “an appreciation of what they’re up against,” says Zvan. “Continuous sharing back and forth is important,” she adds, allowing that this need is more evident in Canada, where the federal system requires as many as 30 separate rule changes in order to implement, for example, a country-wide approach to sustainability disclosures. 

“Local investors can provide insight, but it’s really important for the government to hear from the foreign investors too,” Zvan adds.

It’s not just dealing with regulators in 13 provinces that makes it hard to align Canada’s economy with net zero and planetary boundaries. The country has long relied on its extractive and often carbon-intensive industries for growth and jobs, contributing more than 8% to GDP in 2024. 

This means policy action and clear guidance to major industries are particularly important. Canada’s scorecard is mixed in terms of providing the signposts to a more sustainable economy, such as a taxonomy that helps investors to support firms in transition. 

Last December, the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB) adopted the International Sustainability Standards Board’s climate and general sustainability disclosure  standards late last year. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Services’ B-15 regulation, updated in February to conform with CSSB standards, lays out clear expectations for federally-regulated financial institutions. SFAC’s recommendations, including on a transition-focused taxonomy, have been adopted. Prime Minister Mark Carney expects the taxonomy to be effective for Canada’s most carbon-intensive sectors next year. 

Governance and oversight of transition guidance remains an issue, suggests Zvan, seeing a need for a permanent body, independent from government, to engage with the private sector on transition planning. 

Less positively, the Canadian Securities Administrators, which is the coordinating body for the country’s securities regulators, has put on hold disclosure requirements for public companies, favouring voluntary adoption instead. Geopolitical headwinds have not helped, acknowledges Zvan. 

“The trade issues are real. Canada exports a significant amount, much more than the UK and Europe, to the US. And so that is taking up a lot of time and attention for corporations, for financial institutions, as well as our federal government. The reality is, we have to keep this progress going,” she says. 

This discussion was released last week but I only had a chance to listen to it today and it's excellent.

Now, I would separate the discussion in two parts, how was UPP created, what is unique to this plan, where is their focus and how did they ramp up in the middle of Covid? 

The second part is on sustainability and its importance at UPP and how they are tackling this issue inside their organization and influencing peers to vote on certain proposals like asking Couche-Tard to set medium-term targets for material Scope 1 and 2 emissions reductions, in line with its peers, as well as setting out its approach to tackling Scope 3 emissions. 

Admittedly, Couche-Tard is the last company I think of when it comes to climate change is climate disclosure but if UPP proposed this proposal, they did their homework and feel strongly about it.

Also, I am a big believer in science-based climate proposals and more importantly, on striking the right balance between climate initiatives and future economic prosperity.

So, when Shift goes after UPP or other pension plans for investing in oil and gas or pipeline firms, it doesn't just rub me the wrong way, it makes my blood boil because in my humble opinion, we have dithered far too long listening to climate activists and need to reintroduce logic and sensible policies that will create jobs and create economic prosperity. 

"Keep it in the ground is just idiotic," it's a slogan which needs to be laid to rest once and for all.

Again, these are my opinions, I don't agree with every pension fund manager on all climate issues but I definitely listen to their views and Barb is an expert worth listening to. 

So, without rambling on here, please take the time to listen to her discussion with Chris Hall. 

Below, in this video, CEO Barbara Zvan explains how the University Pension Plan Ontario was designed to be green “from the get-go”, while maintaining a laser focus on value creation. Most pension plan CEOs have faced the challenge of integrating ESG factors into their investment plans and business models, but Zvan highlights how UPP leveraged its opportunity to build them into the foundations.