Solar Talks Team: Martin, our Non-Executive Chairman

Solar Talks Team is our way of celebrating the amazing people that make Naked Energy and drive what we do. For this second episode of Solar Talks Team we’re in conversation with Martin Schwab, Naked Energy’s Non-Executive Chairman

“What makes Naked Energy so exciting is that they operate in a unique and underserved space - renewable heat. With it’s unique market focus and patented solar heat technology, it has the chance to dominate a niche and sustain long-term profitable growth.”

Hi Martin, please tell us about yourself?

I am a family man, investor, entrepreneur, environmentalist and climate activist. I bring to the table leadership, passion, a desire and ability to motivate people, as well as significant international transaction and board experience.

Having lived in six countries and worked across many more throughout my 26-year career in finance and investing, I am now settled in London, where I reside with my wife and two daughters. Born in Vancouver, Canada, to German parents, my last 18years have been spent at Pamplona Capital Management where I’m a Founding Partner and Managing Partner in charge of our European operations.

I have a proven investment track record, driving value creation and growth while being acutely aware of the role companies must play more broadly in society and our natural world. I am driven by a desire to make sure that ESG is more than just an acronym but rather an aspiration for companies and individuals alike to minimise the negative impact on the world around them.

On a personal level I find my energy and joy in my family, friends and being outdoors - whether sailing, skiing or hiking.

What have been the key milestones in your career, and how did you end up working in sustainable finance?

Throughout my 20 years in private equity, I’ve become increasingly concerned about the impact of climate change and the urgency required to reverse its course. In late 2020, my wife and I founded the Ocean Born Foundation with a view to generating new streams of income against climate change. We aim to accelerate initiatives around ocean restoration and protection and mitigate the climate crisis. 

What’s the founding story behind the Ocean Born Foundation?

The ocean, encompassing 99% of all living space on the planet by volume, containing 97% of the Earth’s water, and covering 71% of the planet’s surface, is the largest natural carbon sink and emitter of oxygen on the planet. It is a key ally in the fight against climate change. Alarmingly, SDG14 “Life under Water”, which is the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that sets the course for how to restore the ocean back to health so it can continue regulating the earth’s climate, is by far the most underfunded of the SDGs receiving less than 1% of the funding. With this in mind, we chose the ocean as our main focus because we felt it was here that we could have the most impact.

How did you discover Naked Energy, and what made you want to get involved?

I was introduced to Naked Energy by Fabio Greco who runs EthicalFin, another impact investment firm. Fabio is a close friend of mine and was hired by Naked Energy to help in a prior fundraising round. He approached me to discuss potentially investing in Naked Energy, and since then both myself and Ocean Born Impact have gotten involved with the business.

What do you hope to bring to the business?

At Ocean Born Impact, our approach is to bring more than just capital to the table. We support companies in every way we can – bringing colleagues and an extensive network of contacts to assist where companies need it most. 

One of the key challenges for any company is to prepare itself for sustainable growth. Too often companies fail because they can’t manage their growth properly, whether that be due to issues with personnel, production, supply chain, or internal processes. Ensuring that companies have solid foundations from which they can grow is essential and always a factor in how we support them.

What do you think are the biggest opportunities in the renewable energy market? 

A genuine desire for governments, companies and consumers to transition towards green energy lies at the heart of the market opportunity. What makes Naked Energy so exciting is that they operate in a unique and underserved space - renewable heat. As wind and solar PV have become mainstream, the market has become increasingly more competitive, with heavy competition particularly from South-East Asia. With Naked Energy’s unique market focus and patented solar heat technology, it has the chance to dominate a niche and sustain long-term profitable growth. 

You have an investment background, why should other investors care about the decarbonisation of heat. 

Continuing with business as usual is no longer an option. All sectors have a role to play, including investors. I agree with António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, when he recently said that “the era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived”. Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly more common, and investors need to urgently fund businesses aiming to combat climate change. As Guterres said, If we don’t see swift action then future generations will be living on a planet where “the temperature is unbearable and the air unbreathable”, and that’s unacceptable. 

With July being the hottest month on record, what do you feel are the most urgent actions societies can take to mitigate the impact of climate change?

So much has been written on this topic by individuals much more knowledgeable than me! Personally, I think the key thing that society as a whole must do is listen to the experts. Corporations, governments and consumers alike need to fully understand the urgency of the task at hand, and collaborate together to tackle the climate crisis.