Our aim is to create and realise value through the careful management of the environmental and social impact of our investments. We believe that by investing our clients’ capital responsibly we can help to protect and enhance asset value and improve investment performance, while creating thriving city neighbourhoods that people want to live in for the long term.
As part of a not-for-dividend organisation, any profit we make is re-invested back into our wider business, providing our investors even more opportunities to support social change.
Our Four Guiding Principles
Our strategy for integrating the management of ESG issues within all of our funds is set against four guiding principles, which we use as the basis for determining appropriately tailored ESG approaches and objectives for each of the funds we manage. We have recently refreshed these guiding principles to reflect our evolving platform and the material sustainability issues for our sector.
1. Bringing institutional capital to help tackle the housing crisis
We help address the housing crisis in the UK by enhancing the supply of affordable homes through a mix of tenures in places where it is needed.
2. Developing and nurturing thriving communities
We have an established track record in developing and managing residential property and understand the needs of our residents and other local stakeholders. This helps us to create and steward thriving communities.
3. Supporting the health and wellbeing of residents and communities
We strive to ensure the homes we manage and the services we provide support the health, comfort and financial security of our residents and offer meaningful social impact in the communities in which they live.
4. Enhancing local environments and restoring natural capital
We recognise that investment and management decisions can have a significant impact on the environment both locally and for the global climate; it is our intention to optimise these impacts for environmental gain.
Our ESG Strategy
We are currently working with specialist advisory firm, Hillbreak, in undertaking a comprehensive review of our Responsible Investment approach, and we are looking forward to sharing our refreshed ESG Strategy with our stakeholders before the end of 2023. Our refreshed approach will include:
- Comprehensive integration of ESG considerations throughout all stages of the investment decision-making process from strategy development to exit;
- A purposeful approach to optimising risk mitigation and positive impact on the most material issues for our clients’ investments;
- Enhanced governance and reporting arrangements measuring our sustainability performance and impact.
Governance
We are proud to hold the AREF Quality Mark, an annual validation of our fund compliance with the Association of Real Estate Fund's Code of Practice.
We have been signatories to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment since May 2019.
Our very active participation in many industry efforts to advance ESG and sustainability standards means that we are recognised leaders in the wider sector. We contribute as active members to the work of the AREF ESG and Impact Investing Committee, we chair the BPF ESG and Residential Working Group and also participate in the CREFC ESG Forum.