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 second 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. As public supporters of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), we are working towards our own implementation of the TCFD recommendations to increase transparency on climate-related risks and opportunities within financial markets.
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.
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.
Infrastructure Needs to Think Local
Citizen-centric investment and development will empower communities to rebuild more sustainably post-covid and to respond to new opportunities emerging from the shifting global economy, writes InstarAGF’s president and CEO Gregory Smith.
No Turning Back: Five Paths to Sustainability
ESG implications are changing infrastructure development and investing, stakeholder engagement and how we define purpose beyond returns, says InstarAGF chief operating officer and senior vice-president Sarah Borg-Olivier.
Interrupting the COVID Echo
COVID-19 has posed unprecedented health and economic challenges for nations, businesses, communities and families. The human impact is immeasurable, with more than 29 million cases of the virus and 929,000 deaths to date.
Building a Culture of Long-term Resiliency
This pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for companies around the world. What is InstarAGF’s primary focus through this period of challenge and change?
How Connectivity Builds Stronger Teams
Fostering a strong, collaborative working environment with a focus on mentorship and knowledge-sharing is central to InstarAGF’s corporate culture and is crucial to our success.
Infrastructure Investor Webcast: Infrastructure Today, Tomorrow and the Next Decade
Originally recorded...
Good governance in crisis: Decisive leadership in uncertain times
Uncertainty is at an all-time high, with more than three million reported cases of the novel coronavirus and an estimated 200,000 deaths worldwide exacting a terrible human toll.
Socially-conscious leadership: driving value through diversity
Diversity and inclusion are defining issues for our generation. The corporate landscape has shifted from a generation ago, with greater acknowledgement today on why broader perspectives and experiences are needed to successfully navigate the growing complexity of challenges in our modern world.
Cracking the Sustainability Code
What next steps are needed to ensure a safe, resilient future? While new technologies are likely to play a key role, says Gregory J. Smith, CEO of InstarAGF Asset Management, we can’t underestimate the value of holistic policies, city planning and community engagement.