Impact investing at Brunel Pension Partnership (Brunel) goes back to its origins in 2018 when it began investing. Brunel employs impact investing across both listed and private markets portfolios. As part of its initial strategy, it launched its Cycle 1 Private Equity portfolio. This had an impact allocation and today the group has a minimum of 30% in impact funds across what it terms private equity cycles 3 and 4 – its private market portfolios run in successive two-year cycles.

Brunel’s commitments as a responsible investor are channelled through seven priority themes: climate change; biodiversity and nature; human rights and social issues; circular economy and supply chain management; cyber and AI diversity, equity and inclusion; tax and cost; and transparency and fairness.

Brunel is increasingly focusing on natural capital. In 2023, its conversations with managers on the topic rose significantly. It committed to being an early adopter of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and actively engaged with seven consumer staples companies on biodiversity in line with its membership of the Nature Action 100+ initiative.

In 2024, it was a launch endorser of the PRI Spring Initiative. Moreover, its Infrastructure Cycle 3 portfolio already has an allocation to natural capital, including an investment in a project that actively manages and conserves North American forest lands to remove and store carbon from the atmosphere.

Another impact investing focus at Brunel is affordable housing in the UK. In all, it has acquired 1,686 homes across 29 schemes across England. In 2024, occupancy across these properties was approaching 90%, with the rest under construction.