Sustainability
Our mission to turn the ESG ‘SHOULD’ into a ‘MUST’ is at the heart of our strategy. We have defined our policy, framework and toolkits to design tailored action programmes. These initiatives have achieved industry recognition with Vantage Infrastructure awarded the highest ratings from the PRI and GRESB
At Vantage Infrastructure, we recognise that sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) considerations are inextricably linked to the long term performance, value and reputation of infrastructure investments. As a result, we consider the integration of ESG considerations in our debt and equity investment, asset management and divestment processes and practices to be of paramount importance to deliver sustainable value and positive outcomes in the best interest of all stakeholders.
Signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. Vantage pays membership fees to PRI. 2023 results.
Vantage-managed portfolio companies pay membership fees to GRESB
Supporter of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures
Contributor to 10 of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals
Investor member of IIGCC
Signatory to the Initiative Climat International (iCI)
Signatory to the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative
Equity Portfolio Highlights
0GWh
CLEAN ENERGY GENERATED2
equivalent to the annual energy needs of +69,000 households
0bn litres
CLEAN WATER CONSUMED3
equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of 1.1m households
0.6Mtonnes
CO2 ABATED & AVOIDED4
equivalent to +372,000 cars off the road
0Ktonnes
MATERIALS RECYCLED 5
equivalent to the annual waste produced by 43,000 households
0
PEOPLE EMPLOYED6
0%
FEMALE EMPLOYEES7
Debt Portfolio Highlights
0GWh
CLEAN ENERGY GENERATED9
equivalent to the annual energy needs of +160,000 households
0Ktonnes
MATERIALS RECYCLED
equivalent to the annual waste produced by 28,000 households
0
HOMES with solar rooftops
0
CUSTOMERS supplied with district heating or cooling
0
SCHOOLS providing places for 3,650 pupils
0
FIBRE CUSTOMERS
serviced by 130,000km fibre cable
Integration
Our approach to ESG rests on three principles:
- It is integrated throughout the entire lifecycle of an investment, from the initial evaluation of a transaction, through its execution, investment onboarding and asset management and finally in divestment considerations
- It is common across our debt and equity investment businesses
- It is embraced at both manager and investments’ levels
IDENTIFY & MANAGE RISKS & OPPORTUNITIES
- Review ESG-related policies and processes
- Conduct ESG risk materiality analysis to identify main risk areas and mitigations
- Collect ESG data to monitor ESG performance
- Support companies with GRESB process.
ENSURE OWNERSHIP & ACCOUNTABILITY
- Assign ESG accountability to executives
- Establish robust governance processes, with clear ESG board responsibilities
- Set ESG targets and include ESG KPIs in incentive plans where appropriate
ESTABLISH ACTION PLAN & REPORT PROGRESS
- Define ESG objectives, develop strategies and execute bespoke action plans
- Develop gap analysis and improvement plan based on GRESB and other ESG assessments
- Implement ESG and impact reporting
RAISE ESG AWARENESS & SHARE LEARNINGS
- Foster ESG dialogue with management inside and outside the board room
- Encourage ESG corporate culture
- Arrange ESG knowledge-sharing workshops
- Encourage disclosure of ESG performance
APPLY CLEAR CRITERIA TO SCREEN OPPORTUNITIES IN LINE WITH CLIENT GOALS
- Screen against defined exclusions and apply ESG non-negotiable values
- Complete initial ESG assessment and identify specific due diligence areas
- Prefer best-in-class or improvement potential
CONDUCT DISCIPLINED DUE DILIGENCE TO ASSESS RISKS & OPPORTUNITIES
- Define ESG scope, engage consultants, attend site visits/management presentations
- Conduct analysis of ESG performance, risks and opportunities and assess impact on value
- Present findings to Investment Committee
LEAD INITIATIVES AND INFLUENCE BUSINESS OUTCOMES TO PROTECT & ENHANCE VALUE
- Lead initiatives focused on key value drivers
- Build ESG capacity within the company
- Monitor and influence ESG performance through bespoke action plans
- Report ESG performance to investors
DESIGN AND EXECUTE OWNERSHIP TRANSITION PLAN
- Agree plan to address ESG due diligence items
- Set strategic ESG goals with management
- Review governance, management structure and remuneration and ensure alignment
Governance
Vantage believes that promoting leadership and accountability is essential to implement its policy effectively across any business and to develop an internal ESG and sustainability culture at all levels of any organisation. This is true for our investee companies as it is for our own firm. Therefore, roles have been clearly defined across Vantage’s governance bodies and senior leaders with all investment professionals ultimately being responsible and held accountable for ESG.
BOARD OVERSIGHT
The Vantage Board is responsible for overseeing the ESG strategy and connecting sustainability with corporate purpose. The Board approves the ESG policy and monitors its implementation.
INVESTMENT COMMITTEES
The Debt and Equity Investment Committees review and challenge ESG assessments and their impact on investment decisions.
LEADER
A Vantage Partner champions ESG and sustainable investment philosophy, policies and practices to ensure senior decision-making accountability.
WORKING GROUP
Debt and equity representatives develop and continuously improve Vantage’s ESG toolkits and processes and ensure consistent implementation across the business and at the investment level.
INVESTMENT TEAMS
The entire investment teams are held responsible for identifying and managing ESG risks and opportunities for new or existing investments and reporting them to the relevant committee.
All figures are rounded and are the latest available full financial year reported and pro-rated for the percentage of Vantage Infrastructure ownership stakes of respective equity investments and pro-rated for the percentage of debt managed investments within respective projects’ total debt issuance:
1Sustainable Development Goals contributed by Vantage Infrastructure’s equity managed investments
2Clean energy generated by Ventus Investments Ltd in 2022; based on typical UK domestic consumption values of 2,700KWh per annum (source: Ofgem)
3Clean water consumed by South East Water’s customers in Financial Year ending March 2023
4Companies’ estimates based on (i) c.909 tonnes of CO2 emissions displaced per GWh of electricity supplied in the UK (source: Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2019) for wind farms (CO2 abated)and (ii) the premise that, if natural gas was not used, more polluting fossil fuels would be used in the same proportion in which they are currently consumed, for natural gas networks (CO2 avoided)
5Sum of recycling waste for all investments; based on average annual waste produced per UK household
6Employees and contractors working for Vantage Infrastructure managed investments
7Female employees working for Vantage Infrastructure managed investments
8Sustainable Development Goals contributed by Vantage Infrastructure’s debt managed investments
9As applicable, based on (i) typical UK domestic consumption values of 2,900KWh per annum respectively (source: Ofgem), (ii) annual Irish household electricity consumption of 4,200KWh (source: Commission for Regulation of Utilities) and (iii) annual U.S. household electricity consumption of 10,632KWh (source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, October 2022), and (iv) annual Melbourne household electricity consumption of 4,624KWh per annum (source: Australian Energy Regulator, November 2022), as applicable