What does climate mean for investor Ivo Lemmens?
Over the last months, we have been heavily in contact with Ivo Lemmens. Ivo is a talented Corporate Development Manager at First Dutch, which is the impact investment vehicle of the successful entrepreneur Peter Goedvolk.
Together with First Dutch, we launched our very first investment fund of Platform Zero. And since then, we have had a lot of meetings with Ivo. Together we seek impactful ventures with our fund, and during our previous conversation, we have asked Ivo 2 questions.
How do you contribute to a cleaner world through your function at First Dutch?
First Dutch is a family-owned investment company that strives to make an impact with its investments. By focusing on building, transforming and scaling businesses into smart, responsible and successful firms, First Dutch aims to stimulate employment, innovation and sustainability, next to generating a healthy financial return. With our in-house Corporate Development team, we seek to find attractive investment opportunities that fit well with this investment vision and are enthusiastic about realizing their growth ambitions. Moreover, our CD team operates a long-term investment approach. It provides active strategic support to our existing portfolio companies in order to enable these companies to grow further and improve their businesses.
One clear example of a recent investment by First Dutch that generates a strong environmental contribution is the acquisition of Martens Cleaning by our portfolio company Burando Maritime Services. Both companies are active as maritime waste collectors in the ARA-region. However, having different specific capabilities. By joining forces, the combined operation is now able to process and recycle larger volumes of oil-water waste flows (namely up to 300,000 cubic meters per year) and do this much more efficiently, enabling the organizations to make an enormous contribution in terms of circularity and sustainable maritime waste management.
We hope to undertake more of these types of impact investments in the near future, also through our First Dutch Ventures initiative and close partnership with Platform Zero, to realize our big ambitions for the maritime industry together!
What is your greatest climate sin?
I find it difficult to name one specific event or action. Still, I believe that this would relate to finding the right balance between convenience and leisure activities on the one hand and the resulting environmental impact on the other. I am aware that certain activities that I undertake in my free time, such as going on a ski trip or taking a plane for holiday plans, are seriously harmful to the environment. However, I still tend to choose these options out of joy and convenience considerations. I think that having the right awareness, considerations and judgement is a process that is still very much underway for many of us.
