Opening a new future for people and places

For our investments to meet high ESG standards we must ensure that sustainability is fully integrated across all our activities.

Our approach is aligned with each fund’s business model; placing sustainability at the centre of all investment decisions, including how we manage, add value, and innovate to deliver a modern, efficient, and sustainable portfolio that enables our customers and stakeholders to succeed.

1. How we invest

We want to be known as a leader in responsible investment. We take the lead by investing in and developing space for occupiers, communities and the environment. 

Key initiatives

• Utilising green finance
• Assessing ESG risks and opportunities through ESG due diligence
• Improving our ESG ratings
• Achieving high sustainability certifications

2. How we manage

We manage our funds to have leading sustainability ratings. We focus our energy and expertise, understanding where we can directly impact and where we need to influence, facilitate and partner sustainable initiatives.

Key initiatives

• Implementing green leases with tenants
• Improving energy performance
• Encouraging the adoption of green energy
• Ensuring buildings are resilient to climate change
• Enhancing biodiversity
• Sustainable transport
• Supply chain management

3. How we add value

We create social value in all communities we invest in. By delivering a clear sustainability strategy we will deliver improved financial returns to our investors and deliver value to society.

Key initiatives

• Tenant engagement and awareness
• Health and wellbeing for customers and communities
• Skills and jobs in developments
• Community investment

4. How we innovate

We innovate to ensure our funds are net carbon neutral. We use our ingenuity to find new and creative ways to enhance our communities.

Key initiatives

• Net zero carbon construction
• Sponsorship of sustainability innovation award
• Piloting innovations with partners that share high sustainability goals

Measuring our performance

We are transparent about our performance and seek to disclose all material information to our wide range of stakeholders.  In addition to disclosing our material impacts annually at a fund level, we engage with key selected ESG indices. These provide valuable rating and benchmarking measures of sustainability performance. This helps us to demonstrate our achievements as well as providing feedback to help inform our management practices.

From issues to impact; identifying what is most material

As a business we do not operate in isolation. Global forces not only effect our activities today, but also how we operate in the future. It is essential to develop a sustainability strategy that addresses the most material ESG risks and opportunities that could impact the Group and its investment funds - now  - and during the next 10 years.

To determine risks and opportunities, in 2019, we conducted a Materiality Assessment with a wide range of stakeholders including customers, colleagues, investors and regulators to identify the issues that matter most to them. The long list of issues discussed were based on key global external risks and opportunities and best practice in sustainability and current trends. More information on methodology and process can be found online here. The short list of material issues identified in assessment informed our strategy and the four big goals.