Sustainability
B&I Capital is committed to sustainability on both the company and the investment level.
At B&I Capital we approach sustainability with respect and responsibility. We integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance criteria throughout our investment process and company operations. We understand our role of being a responsible corporate citizen, active investor, and a fiduciary to our clients and as such are keen to actively participate in the creation of sustainable future.
We attach a great importance to our company’s sustainability. We aim to minimize our environmental footprint as much as possible and we offset the remaining footprint through environmentally positive projects. We support environmental and social projects in Switzerland, Hong Kong, USA, Sri Lanka and Indonesia which can be found on our Charities page.
Investing Sustainably
B&I Capital invests in a niche of the Global equity markets where we believe ESG factors play a vital role in long-term value creation and therefore contribute to the total investment return over long cycles. Incorporating ESG throughout our investment process enables us to assess our investees’ overall sustainability including their potential exposure to sustainability-related risks. Please refer to our Responsible Investing document which describes our ESG integration in more detail and our Principal Adverse Impact statement which shows the impact of investment decisions on sustainability factors. We also provide the Sustainability Disclosure documents on our products table.
B&I Capital is a signatory of the UNPRI (United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment) and a member of GRESB (Global ESG Benchmark for Real Assets). We cooperate with regional industry bodies, namely The European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA) and The Asia Pacific Real Estate Association (APREA), to promote better governance and to formulate best ESG practices for REITs.
The UNPRI (United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment) is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. It works to understand the investment implications of ESG factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions.
The six Principles for Responsible Investment are a voluntary and aspirational set of investment principles that offer a menu of possible actions for incorporating ESG issues into investment practice. By implementing them, signatories contribute to developing a more sustainable global financial system.
UNPRI Principles
- Principle 1: We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.
- Principle 2: We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.
- Principle 3: We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.
- Principle 4: We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry.
- Principle 5: We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles.
- Principle 6: We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles.
B&I Capital offsets its annual climate footprint, measured in units of carbon equivalents, through the Temboan reforestation project in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, which was initiated by the Masarang Foundation in 2019. The total area acquired for reforestation is about 350 ha and the project also includes a restoration and protection of coral reefs that are in the waters right in front of the Temboan beach.
Masarang Foundation has partnered with ITM University and Delft University of Technology to study the positive impacts of reforestation on local environment. Once the area is reforested, Masarang Foundation also plans to release animals from their Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue and Education Center to create new habitats. B&I Capital started offsetting its climate footprint in 2019.