I am currently completing an Honours double major in Political Science and International Development. My academic path has been shaped by a deep interest in how financial and institutional tools can support ecological transition and long-term development. I applied for an internship at Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management (EDRAM) because I wanted to understand how cutting-edge concepts like regeneration, circularity, and planetary boundaries could be translated into concrete investment strategies, and how private finance can operate as a driver of sustainable change.
From June to July 2025, I worked in the Paris office of EDRAM with the Impact Investing team. My main assignment was to support the development of a new regenerative and systemic investment fund, co-led by Matthieu Bleuse and Alice de Rothschild. The fund aims to invest in companies that actively contribute to the restoration of natural ecosystems, with a focus on biodiversity, soil regeneration, circular resource flows, and sustainable water use, going far beyond standard ESG screening.
My work involved several key responsibilities. First, I helped map over 100 regenerative business models, conducting research on European startups and SMEs operating in areas such as circular biomaterials, bio-based fertilizers or agroecological transition. I structured this work into a dynamic database categorizing companies by sector, maturity, impact alignment, and geography.
Second, I contributed to the creation of a proprietary impact scoring framework, designed to assess the regenerative potential of companies based on dimensions such as soil health, biodiversity impact, and resource circularity. This framework was informed by planetary boundaries science, the EU Taxonomy, and disclosure benchmarks like TNFD. I tested the framework on real company data, helped define rating thresholds, and participated in internal feedback loops to refine the model.
I also worked closely with Éric De Tessières, Head of ESG Integration and Stewardship, on biodiversity-related regulatory frameworks and risk indicators. I prepared an internal note on nature-related disclosure standards (TNFD and SBTN), identifying their key principles and relevance for future investment and reporting strategies.
One of the most enriching aspects of the internship was the intellectual openness of the team. Although I come from a political science background, I was encouraged to bring a broader analytical perspective, asking critical questions about the social framing of regeneration, the governance of metrics, and the long-term trade-offs between financial performance and ecological outcomes.
The biggest challenge I faced was adapting to a financial and technical environment very different from my academic training. I had to quickly familiarize myself with investment terminology, private equity logic, impact measurement tools, and the expectations of institutional asset management. This required humility, intellectual agility, and persistence, but it also gave me a new set of skills and a much clearer picture of how impact finance operates from the inside.
I am receiving academic credit for this internship through POLI 599, under the supervision of Professor Juliette Johnson. I’ve already been accepted into the course and will write a research paper on the institutional and political challenges of building measurable regenerative investment frameworks, using my work at EDRAM as a foundation.
Finally, I would like to express once more my sincere gratitude to the donors who made this experience possible. The funding I received allowed me to focus entirely on the internship, immerse myself in the work, and take full advantage of a rare and valuable opportunity. I am deeply thankful for their support.
Jade Bréchard.