Predecessors of Holtara Establish Sustainable Advisory Firm Focused on Positive Change
In the heart of Amsterdam, a new sustainability advisory firm named Dune Partners is making waves. Founded by three former senior managers of Holtara, the firm is dedicated to transforming sustainability into a strategic opportunity that produces real-world impact for investors and companies.
The founders, Marieke Boudeling, Pieter van Dijke, and Sebastiaan Greeven, bring over a decade of experience in sustainability consulting work to the table. They believe that sustainability is transitioning from a niche ambition to a central force in business and investment operations, and thus must be integrated beyond mere data reporting and metrics.
Dune Partners' strategic approach emphasizes the risk that sustainability efforts can become commoditized and disconnected from genuine progress if they are treated just as dashboards and disclosures. Instead, they focus on using data to drive strategic decision-making that leads to measurable change. They help private equity firms, family offices, and portfolio companies turn ESG considerations into strategic value by offering services such as ESG due diligence and carbon footprint assessments.
The firm aims to act as a bridge between analysis and action, helping clients make decisions by answering questions such as where real impact lies, what investments are needed, and what does it deliver? Dune Partners' goal is to enable investors and companies to leverage sustainability as a driver of value and impact, rather than a separate or superficial element.
Currently, Dune Partners is advising two Dutch private equity funds and a listed corporate, although the identities of these clients remain private. The firm's client base historically consisted of mid-market private equity in North-West Europe and their portfolio companies, and they aim to expand to smaller investors such as venture capital, impact or climate-focused, and larger companies such as listed corporates.
Dune Partners is building a boutique, partner-led firm focused on high-quality and bespoke advisory work. They are positioning themselves to lead the way in integrating sustainability into the core of business and investment strategy, moving beyond reporting to ensure sustainability efforts produce tangible environmental and social benefits.
However, according to Boudeling, some firms can struggle to show actual progress in sustainability, despite being quite advanced in collecting ESG data, due to a focus on reporting instead of strategic decision-making. Dune Partners is here to change that, helping firms turn their ESG data into strategic value and real-world impact.
- Dune Partners, with its expertise in private equity, venture capital, and development finance, aims to help clients make strategic decisions that drive real-world sustainability impact, moving beyond mere data reporting and metrics.
- The firm assists private equity firms, family offices, and portfolio companies in turning Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations into strategic value, offering services such as ESG due diligence and carbon footprint assessments.
- In the future, Dune Partners hopes to broaden its client base to include smaller investors like venture capital, impact or climate-focused firms, as well as larger companies such as listed corporates, as they work towards leading the integration of sustainability into the core of business and investment strategy.
