By David G. Barry
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) has taken a step toward fulfilling one of its key
2022 goals: exiting from oil production.
Canada’s second-largest pension
fund has sold all its shares in Corex Resources Ltd to Azimuth Capital
Management, a private equity firm. Terms were not disclosed. Based in Calgary,
Alberta, Corex is a junior oil and natural gas company. CDPQ backed Corex for
10 years, helping to grow its Manitoba operations.
CDPQ announced that it would exit
oil production by the end of 2022 when it rolled out its new climate strategy
last September. CDPQ at that time said its oil production investments accounted
for 1% of its then-CA$390 billion in assets (US$304 billion), or roughly CA$3.9
billion. (US$3 billion).
A CDPQ spokesman said the plan is
not providing a “comprehensive list” of companies it is planning to exit from,
nor is it providing publicly a list of exits done to date.
The exit also is in line with
another of CDPQ’s goals: reduce the carbon intensity of its portfolio by 60% by
2030. The plan also is focused on holding CA$54 billion in green assets by 2025
and creating a CA$10 billion transition envelope to decarbonize the main
industrial carbon-emitting sectors.
CDPQ’s net assets as of December
31 stood at CA$419.8 billion (US$328.7 billion).
