Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer advises the Clean Energy Finance Corporation on its A$70m equity investment to decarbonise energy and transport sectors

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has advised the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) on its A$70 million sustainable investment into the QIC Global Infrastructure Fund II (QGIF II) to help drive decarbonisation of the energy and transport sectors. 

The CEFC’s investment in QGIF II will focus on infrastructure supporting the energy transition, including smart metering, decarbonisation of transport and renewable generation. QGIF II will embed binding sustainability standards across the portfolio, lift decarbonisation standards to target scope 3 emissions, and work with suppliers and providers to drive down emissions across asset value chains. 

The CEFC”s investment in QGIF II follows from its earlier $72 million investment in the QIC Global Infrastructure Fund (QGIF I), which has committed to targeting net zero scopes 1 and 2 emissions by 2040 across its portfolio.  Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer also advised the CEFC on its earlier QGIF I investment.

The Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer team comprised special counsel Yorick Ng, partner Fiona Smedley and senior associate Adam Hickey. 

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has also advised the CEFC on a range of other investments, including Scape Australia's Scape Core Fund, construction debt facilities alongside Real Estate Credit Partners IV, Mirvac’s build to rent venture, the Pacific Equity Partners’ Secure Assets Fund II, Adamantem’s Environmental Opportunities Fund, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Asset’s infrastructure platform, the Australian Renewables Income Fund, the Morrison & Co Growth Infrastructure Fund, the transforming farming platform managed by Gunn Agri Partners, the Investa Commercial Property Fund, and the Mirvac Wholesale Office Fund.