At Instar, ESG has always been fundamental to how we invest, manage risk and opportunity across our platform and define our corporate purpose, which is to enrich people’s lives. Instar’s third annual ESG report highlights our strategy, initiatives and measurements across our platform that contribute to long-term value creation for our stakeholders and the communities in which we operate.
Read the full report here.
Our middle market investment strategy focuses on distinctive, scalable businesses delivering differentiated essential services and solutions to partners, customers and communities.
Instar’s ESG policy integrates ESG considerations throughout our investment and ownership lifecycle with a focus on driving the value of our portfolio companies, future-proofing our platform and enabling a more sustainable, equitable and resilient future. We focus on the sustainability themes that matter the most to our business, our people and our stakeholders, including governance and ethics; stakeholder engagement; climate change; health and safety; and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Instar is a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment.
We strive to align our ESG initiatives with the relevant United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and seek to invest in companies that are the best at what they do and essential to the functioning, fairness, health and economic prosperity of society. Our purpose as an organization is to enrich people’s lives through investing, engaging with and supporting our employees and creating value for stakeholders in a manner that contributes to broader social and economic progress. It reflects our conviction in putting people first and elevating sustainability as a core component of our culture and business strategy.
Our investment stewardship provides a strong governance foundation and strategic guidance to help the great companies we invest in become even better.
We evaluate and integrate ESG considerations and impacts throughout our investment process and ongoing portfolio management initiatives, including monitoring material portfolio-wide and sector-specific risks and identifying opportunities for each company to unleash their full potential to build value.*
Connectedness and belonging are inherent to our corporate culture and purpose.
We embrace diversity, equity and inclusion for innovation and growth. We promote equality of opportunity and seek different perspectives to challenge conventional approaches and continuously improve our company’s performance and progress. We believe that diversity and inclusion help us drive innovation, make better decisions, achieve effective stewardship of our business and portfolio companies and enable our people to thrive.
*Instar Asset Management Inc., is offering funds which promote environmental and / or social characteristics as further described in the relevant funds’ offering documentation as well as periodic and / or annual reports. Funds currently managed by Instar Asset Management Inc. integrate a sustainability risk assessment in line with Article 6 SFDR and consequently do not take into account the European Union’s criteria for environmentally sustainable economic activities.
Value creation takes centre stage
Infrastructure is entering a period of value investing, where governance, growth levers and operational enhancements are key, say Instar Asset Management’s Sarah Borg-Olivier, Minnie Chan and Cathy Xue.
Value investing for long-term impact
A Q&A with Instar's president and CEO Gregory Smith about infra's middle market.
From the top down
Governance is often overlooked when discussing a company's ESG strategy, but strong relationships and alignment at board and CEO level can mitigate against this, say Instar's George So and PRT Growing Services' Randy Fournier and Kim Stangeby.
Putting people at the heart of infrastructure
Infrastructure investors have the opportunity and responsibility to create long-term value by engaging with, and meeting the needs of, communities, according to Instar Asset Management's Gregory Smith.
The secret to ESG integration? Putting people first
As managers explore optimal ESG integration strategies, Instar's Sarah Borg-Olivier and George So argue the best integration efforts include a tailored, people-centric approach.
Growing impact and returns: The opportunity of agricultural infrastructure
How can investors drive substantial returns while prioritizing impact? According to these CEOs, there is a significant opportunity in agricultural infrastructure and businesses supporting the sustainable production and management of natural resources.
Resiliency and the opportunity of change
As changes and disruptions become the 'new normal', infrastructure investors have a responsibility to build adaptable, long-lasting solutions, writes Gregory Smith, president & CEO of Instar Asset Management.
Making ESG personal
Chase McWhorter, Institutional Real Estate, Inc.’s managing director, real estate & infrastructure, recently spoke with Sarah Borg-Olivier, COO and senior vice president, and George So, managing partner, at Instar Asset Management, about how businesses can make ESG considerations meaningful for employees, boards and communities.
Leading Diversity by Example
The movement for diversity and inclusion in the workplace has never been greater. Although we are making strides towards gender parity in many industries and institutions, there is still much to do, particularly in private markets where less than 10% of board positions with private companies in the U.S. are held by women.