Sustainability

DORE is committed to climate change mitigation through investing in renewable energy.

Sustainability commitment
RSPCA Swansea solar farm

Sustainability

DORE is classified as an Article 9 fund, which has a specific sustainability objective. To read to the full SFDR document, click the button below.

Green Economy Mark
December 2020
Read SFDR document

At a glance

As at June 2024
Average annual energy production
423 GWh
Tonnes of carbon dioxide avoided
199,947 tCO2e
Homes powered
156,801
Number of assets
4,868

Our portfolio is forecast to:

generate
423,362 MWh energy per year
equivalent to
156,801
UK households' annual electricity
As at June 2024

Environmental, Social and Governance

1,070
Acres of
land managed
223m
Cubic metres of storage capacity
£230,571
Community
funding to date
110
Health and Safety audits since inception
As at June 2024

Environmental impact from our assets

Discover how our hydropower projects support environmental sustainability

DORE’s Sustainability Commitment

DORE is classified as an Article 9 fund, which has a specific sustainability objective. To read the full SFDR document, visit here.

As an active owner of renewable energy assets, our investments naturally contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels to generate power.

DORE delegates the day-to-day management of its portfolio to the Asset Manager. In April 2023, the Asset Manager signed up to the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative along with 301 other signatories with a combined assets under management of $59 trillion.

Bathus hydropower plant

Our ESG management

i. the identification of material factors given the type of infrastructure asset;

ii.
detailed assessments for deals, referencing guidance from the Global Real Estate Suitability Benchmark (GRESB), Taskforce for Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and the Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR); A new section on the Asset Manager's ESG scorecards looks at the social impacts of infrastructure, and 'green collar' workers.

iii.
discussion and governance at investment committee;The Asset Manager has a robust process for identifying and managing both ESG risk and opportunity through our sustainable approach. This includes:

iv. a list of sustainability actions for asset management. These include reporting emissions consumed, planning for biodiversity and engaging with suppliers and communities.

ESG scorecard assessments were carried out on DORE’s assets at inception (ii above), which provided insights on performance and areas to improve (iv).For carbon management, as with many other investors, DORE’s main focus for the first half of this decade is data. Greenhouse gas emissions are already reported. With new data and models, the Asset Manager has begun looking at the embodied lifecycle carbon of existing wind, solar and hydro assets.    

Following investment, DORE is an active owner. The Asset Manager monitors the portfolio’s emissions – made and avoided – and other ESG credentials, such as jobs created and biodiversity impacts.

Social

Downing, as the investment manager, is a certified B Corp. It has made a commitment to show regard to all stakeholders, including colleagues, clients and communities. Downing also looks for a sustainable procurement process for contractors to ensure they are aligned to DORE's expectations on environmental and social performance. Working with local communities, Downing aims to consider local aspects and needs as part of each project, including, in some circumstances, a contribution of energy or investment to local community projects.

Corporate governance

Business ethics and transparency of reporting on the ESG performance of assets, including the indicators and disclosures required by the SFDR regulation, are integral to annual fund accounts and regular investor reporting. Downing has a dedicated internal infrastructure asset management team focused on achieving both financial and environmental targets. DORE is focused on , accountability and independence, both for its own board and that of its investment manager. A strict and robust approach is taken to risk management.,

Sutton Bridge solar farm UK

Our signatories and awards

Green Economy Mark

DORE was proud to be awarded The Green Economy Mark by the London Stock Exchange (LSE) as soon as it listed in December 2020. The Green Economy Mark was introduced in 2019 and recognises listed companies and funds that derive 50% or more of their revenue from environmental solutions. The award is a recognition that DORE meets the required industry standards of the trust's commitment to positive environmental outcomes. It also provides transparency for investors, giving those seeking sustainable and strong risk-adjusted returns the reassurance that they are investing in a greener future and supporting the UK's transition to net-zero carbon.

Principles of Responsibilities Investment

DORE's commitment to ESG is reflected in Downing's (the investment manager) role as a signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI). This is in addition to the UN Global Compact, the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and the International Corporate Governance Network.

Sustainable Development Goals

There are four Sustainable Development Goals that DORE references in investment activity:

United Nations Global Impact

Downing is committed to the UN Global Compact corporate responsibility initiative and its principles in the areas of human rights, labour the environment and anti-corruption.

Additionally, DORE reports in line with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, which measure both climate impact as well as the material risks and how these are managed.

Sustainability Benchmarking Assessment

DORE was proud to announce, on behalf of Downing Hydro AB, its results in the robust GRESB Sustainability Benchmarking assessment 2024. GRESB independently benchmark ESG and sustainability data in the real assets sector. Downing Hydro AB achieved 90 out of 100 points, surpassing the GRESB average in all categories, ranked first out of 695 GRESB participants for the performance component and ranked second out of six hydroelectric power generation managers in Europe overall. GRESB awarded Downing Hydro AB three out of five stars, a very strong result.