ACCESS Pool, Essex, England, has appointed Stafford Capital Partners and J.P. Morgan Asset Management as its global timberland managers on a £300 million ($379 million) mandate, according to a news release.
Stafford invests in core timberland through the Stafford International Timberland series of funds. The strategy invests in operational, yielding timberland estates, accessing investments primarily through off market secondary transactions.
JPMAM, through its timberland investor and forestry management company Campbell Global, offers access to a real assets strategy that is intended to provide diversified exposure to core timberland assets around the word, while targeting a negative carbon footprint
ACCESS (A Collaboration of Central, Eastern and Southern Shires) is made up of local government pension funds in England and has assets totaling £40 billion on behalf of its member funds as of December 2023.
Two of the ACCESS Authorities currently invest in timber, with the new investment coming from authorities who previously did not have an allocation.
Mark Kemp-Gee, chairman of the ACCESS joint committee, said: “We have been exploring ways to include natural capital investments in our portfolio as we continue to diversify our private markets allocation, while also moving closer to net-zero targets. Timberland ticks all these boxes, and we are delighted to have chosen two market-leading investment partners in this field for the benefit of our partner funds and members.”
The appointment was made following a review carried out by Apex Investment Advisory.
