We aim to incorporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria into our core business activities. We acknowledge our position, as an investment manager, to be responsible for our decision-making and ongoing practices as it relates to ESG.
Founded in 2018, we are committed to the integration of leading practices into our operations. As a first step, we have aligned with the industry in reporting to GRESB (formerly the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) to benchmark and identify areas for improvement in our organizational and investment footprint and began reporting in 2020 on 2019 results. Through reporting to GRESB we are able to track progress annually for continual growth and development of our ESG initiatives.
As we continue to grow, we will consider the expansion of our practices to address stakeholder needs and expectations by assessing the viability of frameworks and programs such as:
- The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) to inform the investor community,
- Green building certifications such as LEED at our investments to drive awareness of environmental impacts and promote the health and wellness of tenants and the communities in which we operate,
- Human capital management programing to manage the attraction, retention and development of our talent and create a diverse and inclusive culture,
- Best practices concerning the protection and use of private and confidential information, and
- Maintenance of a code of conduct and ethics to which each DFA employee and DFA partner is expected uphold.
In furtherance of DFA’s commitment to implementing ESG-focused procedures and processes, in 2020 DFA updated and amended our internal ESG policy, expanded our Stakeholder Engagement Plan and increased focus on compliance with our existing GHG Inventory Management Plan.
Our Community
Children’s Hospital Colorado is one of the top children's hospitals in the nation, helping kids across Colorado and the west.
DFA employees participated in the 25th Anniversary Children’s Classic in August 2021. This golf tournament directly benefits the world-class research programs at Children’s Colorado and has raised more than $7 million to date. DFA also introduced an annual Holiday Toy Drive, with all proceeds donated to Children’s Colorado in time for the holiday season.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home.
In 2022 DFA plans to participate in a day of service with Habitat for Humanity. Employees will have the opportunity to build homes in the Denver area, paired with a monetary donation from DFA to further support the local community. We look forward to expanding our partnership with Children’s Colorado and Habitat for Humanity in the years ahead.
2018
DFA was founded in 2018 by founding partner and CEO, Jason Lucas, and Deutsche Finance Group.
2019
DFA aligned with the broader industry in reporting to GRESB*, which provides benchmarking and identifies areas for improvement. First report was submitted for the 2019 calendar year.
2020-2021
In 2020, DFA updated and amended the internal ESG policy, expanded the Stakeholder Engagement Plan and increased focus on compliance with the existing GHG Inventory Management Plan.
The 2020 GRESB* report was submitted in 2021, allowing DFA to track progress annually for continual growth and development of ESG initiatives.
*DFA reports to GRESB for the Prime Office assets
Looking ahead
DFA has multiple ESG initiatives in progress at the corporate and asset levels. Our goal is to implement these initiatives in the near term:
- Engage a third party ESG consultant to educate and advise on best practices,
- Green building certifications such as LEED at our investments to drive awareness of environmental impacts and promote the health and wellness of tenants and the communities in which we operate
- Tailored employee engagement program
- Best practices concerning the protection and use of private and confidential information
- Formation of an ESG Committee comprised of DFA employees across different areas of the business
- Maintenance of a code of conduct and ethics to which each DFA employee and DFA partner is expected uphold
- Enhancing engagement with partners and clients to assess materiality of ESG issues and future requirements