Our approach to Responsible Investing

Downing is an investment management firm that is committed
to responsible investing. Our Policy applies across all of our
assets under management, and is renewed annually.

Our portfolio of assets worth c. £1.4bn (Dec 2020) are managed by five different business areas: Energy & Infrastructure, Development Capital, Property Lending, Ventures and Downing Fund Managers. 

Whilst the Responsible Investment Policy is firm-wide, each business area has their own approach to incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into their investment business and so we publish their individual approaches to sustainability.

For the first time in 2021 Downing submitted an application to the Financial Reporting Council to be accepted as a signatory to the Stewardship Code. Whilst this has not yet been approved, we are sharing our submission as it provides a good overview of our overall approach as active asset managers. 

We have a fiduciary duty to make use of our voting rights and to engage with companies where we hold shares to ensure they are run in a way that protects the interests of our investors. Our voting and engagement policy is aligned with our vision of Responsible Investing and will be reviewed annually and published here.

Downing became a signatory to the Principles of Responsible Investing in 2019 and will be publishing our 2020 results this Summer.