Dry Powder: The Private Equity Podcast
Faster, better, cheaper—three words at the heart of many investment theses. But lately, a new word has been added to that phrase. Christophe De Vusser, who leads Bain & Company’s Private Equity practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says it all in one breath.
“It's faster and better and cheaper and greener.”
We’re seeing renewed interest in green investments. And it’s not just fueled by the indelible photos of wildfires lighting up the night sky in the western United States or that great swirl of garbage, twice the size of Texas, floating over the Pacific.
Underlying those headlines is a growing awareness among consumers that the environment is in trouble, and they are willing to shift their spending, sometimes quite suddenly, to support the greener product. At the same, disruptive tech is breaking the old assumption that you can either go greener or cheaper—but that you can’t do both.
In short, green is not just a force for good; it's a force for disruption.
“Increasingly offering something to the consumer that is better for the world, that is greener, drives winning brands and allows you to take share from competition,” Christophe told me during a recent episode of Dry Powder.
But we've heard this before, back in the 1990s, when investors funneled money into green-branded businesses and the returns were underwhelming.
So is this cycle of green investing more sustainable? Today on the show, Christophe De Vusser explains why investors may want to unlearn the lessons of the 1990s and consider the disruptive power of green investing in the 2020s.
The Private Equity Podcast
In our podcast series, Bain's Hugh MacArthur interviews leading experts on the trends and opportunities that will redefine the private equity industry.
Catch new episodes by subscribing to Dry Powder on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you may listen.
First published in September 2020