Future Planet Capital (Ventures) Limited.
A Commitment to Responsible Investing and ESG
Future Planet Capital (FPC) is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (the “Principles”). These cover six high-level principles which FPC is fully incorporating into its investment processes and decisions:
i.We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.
ii. We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.
iii. We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.
iv. We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry.
v. We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles.
vi. We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles (as of 2025 – in line with mandatory reporting timelines issued by the UN PRI).
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is at the core of embodying the Principles. At Future Planet Capital, we use the term ‘ESG’ to describe a comprehensive set of environmental, social and governance matters affecting both our fund and our portfolio.
A distinction should be made between the nature of ESG, a set of criteria and standards that characterises, and accounts for, the environmental, social and governance implications of businesses’ processes and practices, and Impact Investing, a concentrated and coordinated investing strategy designed consciously to produce positive impact, whilst achieving a financial return.
As an impact-led investor, creating positive outcomes for people and planet, we put ESG concerns at the core of our operations.
What ESG means for us
While a plethora of frameworks and definitions of ESG exist, most are not fit for use in venture capital and for working with early-stage technology startups. We are hence following a definition of ESG developed with and by VentureESG which defines ESG across seven issue areas linked to E, S and G respectively.
Environmental:
Emissions: Future Planet Capital is committed to considering the environmental impact from Scope 1 (emissions directly caused by the company), Scope 2 (emissions indirectly caused by the company) and Scope 3 (emissions caused by upstream and downstream activities). FPC target measuring, but more importantly, reducing the impact across all scopes, at both fund and portfolio level. This exercise is conducted in conjunction with our chosen ESG provider, Plan A.
Social:
2. DEI: Future Planet Capital is committed to integrating diverse and inclusive practices across all areas of the business, including, but not limited to, the diversity of the fund and founding teams and following inclusive hiring practices.
3. Team and working environment: Future Planet Capital is committed to building a strong culture and being a conscientious employer.
4. Responsible product design: Future Planet Capital is committed to designing and building products with consideration of the ethical and human implications on the end-user and society.
Governance:
5. Legal and regulatory: Future Planet Capital is committed to being aligned to the latest laws, regulations and compliance standards. The oversight of these issues is ensured by the founding team and Board of Directors.
6. Governance: Future Planet Capital is committed to having appropriate governance structures in place. FPC operates under the guidance of a robust board, advisory board and investment governance board, maintaining high ethical standards). FPC has a whistle-blower policy.
7. Data privacy and security: Future Planet Capital is committed to instilling a strong culture of trust, responsibility and best practice around data.
How we operationalize ESG in the investment process
Applying ESG principles is not only based on a comprehensive set of considerations specific to us as an investor and the startups we invest in; we also think through how ESG applies to the entire investment process from sourcing and screening to due diligence and portfolio management and exit.
o Exclusion List:
There are certain business models and sectors we do not invest in which include companies engaged in the production or trade:
of products or services deemed illegal under host country laws or regulations or international conventions and agreements.
produce tobacco, weapons/munition/materials for bad actors, sex work, pornography, gambling or casinos, as well as companies where more than five percent of total sales come from the distribution of these products.
engaging in unconventional extraction of fossil fuels, such as oil sands and deep-sea drilling in particularly sensitive areas.
o Sourcing:
We are committed to ensuring accessibility and diversity as core principles in the sourcing and pipeline management of our deals. Concretely, we have put in place two mechanisms and steps to make our funnel easier to access and to counteract any lack of diversity that early in the investment process:
Our application process: Future Planet Capital seeks diverse entrepreneurs from its sourcing pools that embody its values, actively engaging with university ecosystems to encourage diversity in dealflow. FPC is a signatory to the Investing in Women Code and is listed on the Investing in Women Hub.
Usage of accessible language: On our website as well as in all (written) communication, we are careful to use accessible language.
o Investment due diligence:
In the process of screening and conducting due diligence on potential investment targets, ESG considerations (across the above seven sub-categories) play an important role. We are keen to understand the attitude of the founders, their approach to building their companies and any consideration of adverse impacts they might foresee early in the process and have our investment decisions influenced by these factors. The information we collect will be duly documented in our investment memos and play an important role in our investment process. Additionally, we will also leverage our network of expert advisors and sector-specific consultants, where appropriate.
o Post-investment portfolio support
Once we have committed to invest in a company, ESG considerations will further guide our portfolio management with a focus on both risk mitigation and value creation. We continue our comprehensive approach to ESG across the seven core areas supporting our portfolio companies actively in their journey. We engage our ESG provider, Plan A, to provide educational webinar sessions with portfolio companies to cover basic principles and discuss materiality, given company stage. There is the option for our portfolio to then engage with the service provider.
On-boarding and Reporting: modelled on and harmonised with the due diligence checklist, our on-boarding process for every new portfolio company includes a discussion surrounding ESG priorities for the company based on stage / sector / region (from both a risk and strategic value perspective). As part of FPC’s provision of ongoing portfolio support, regular monitoring sessions conducted, at a minimum every 12 months, will address material ESG progress and issues.
o Stewardship:
Future Planet Capital recognises stewardship as a key component of responsible investment and is committed to integrating stewardship principles into its investment strategy. While traditional public market stewardship mechanisms, such as proxy voting, may not apply to our private market investments, FPC actively engages with portfolio companies to drive ESG improvements and long-term value creation.
FPC’s stewardship approach is embedded in its investment processes through the following key activities:
• Active Engagement: We engage with portfolio companies through board participation, advisory roles, and structured ESG reporting, ensuring alignment with our stewardship priorities.
• Governance Influence: We incorporate ESG considerations into investment agreements, setting expectations for sustainability practices and impact reporting from the outset.
• Collaboration & Industry Advocacy: As a signatory to the UN PRI, we promote responsible investment principles across our ecosystem and work with stakeholders to enhance ESG outcomes.
• Monitoring & Reporting: We track ESG performance and impact metrics through structured engagements, such as our ESG & Impact Survey, and provide ongoing guidance to investee companies on improving their ESG strategies.
Our stewardship efforts align with FPC’s broader responsible investment strategy, ensuring that our investments contribute positively to environmental, social, and governance objectives while mitigating potential negative impacts.
o Follow-on funding:
We believe that making ESG part of our financial decision making is key, so receiving follow-on funding at our fund is not only based on commercial milestones, but also on wider ESG and impact targets. Decisions will be taken on a case-by-case and the portfolio company will be involved along the process.
o Exit:
In the case of exiting (via sale, M&A or IPO) we will consider possible ESG factors, too. Advising founders on the right time to exit and the right partners to work with are important.
How we operationalize ESG in our VC firm
ESG does not only apply to how we invest and help our portfolio companies flourish and grow but it is also part and parcel of how we internally manage our fund. We aim at applying the same ESG considerations and the same standards we measure our portfolio with to ourselves; being in a strong position when it comes to ESG ourselves not only makes our demands to portfolio companies more believable, it also strengthens our (economic and structural) position as a VC firm.
ESG responsibility: while every member of our (investment) team is concerned with and thinks along lines of ESG when making decisions and supporting portfolio companies, we have assigned the overall responsibility for ESG to an internal ESG Steering Committee. Our approach to ESG will be discussed regularly in our partner meetings.
Hiring and working environment: we are committed to hiring a diverse team and providing an inclusive working environment.
We have a commitment to respect internationally recognised human rights, and any investment decision has to take cognisance of the ILO declaration: any investment case that cannot show that it would fall within the principles must have some significant mitigating factor and the non-compliance requires it to be specifically addressed as an issue by our investment committee.
Good governance: all our decision making in both the advisory board and the investment committee is committed to good governance principles.
Systematic sustainability: we integrate systematic sustainability considerations into our investment strategy, addressing biodiversity and resource efficiency directly through a proportion of our investments, addressing human rights, diversity & inclusion and ethical governance within our firm-wide ESG framework.
As signatories to the UN PRI, we are committed to keeping all LPs informed of our ongoing dedication to responsible investment, through our quarterly fund reports. Any changes to policies related to the responsible investment focus, governance or oversight of a given fund, will be communicated.
Our climate commitment
As a venture capital firm investing in deep tech and high-impact innovation, Future Planet Capital recognises our responsibility to understand and address our operational greenhouse gas emissions. We have conducted a comprehensive inventory of our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions – including office energy use, business travel, employee commuting, and procurement – using best-practice methodologies provided by ESG consultancy Plan A, audited to TÜV Rheinland standards.
In line with evolving best practice for the venture capital sector and consistent with the guidance from the Venture Climate Alliance, we commit to:
Measure and reduce our operational emissions (excluding financed emissions), and to neutralise residual emissions through high-quality carbon removals by 2030 or sooner.
Our current approach is grounded in annual GHG disclosure, improvement of data accuracy, and pragmatic reduction strategies based on identified emission hotspots. Our goal is to lead with transparency and ambition, without overstating certainty. We will continue to evolve our climate strategy as market mechanisms, data, and expectations mature across the VC landscape.
Updated: 16th July 2025