The ACCESS pool – a collaboration of local government pension schemes (LGPSs) from central, eastern and southern English counties – has chosen Orchard Street Investment Management to manage its Impact Real Estate strategy. Composed of 11 LGPSs, ACCESS’s participant pension funds have combined AUM of approximately £45 billion (US$58.9 billion), with the organisation making an initial £100 million commitment to the impact real estate strategy. Orchard Street will look to deliver financial returns within a formal impact investment framework focused on the decarbonisation of buildings to deliver ESG–led outcomes based on measurable targets. The partnership sees Orchard Street adds a second LPGS pool to its list of institutional clients, having previously launched the Orchard Street Social and Environmental Impact Fund with cornerstone investment from the Brunel Pension Partnership. “We have been impressed with Orchard Street’s history of impact investing in commercial real estate and [its] leading stance on responsible investing,” said Mark Kemp-Gee, Chairman of the ACCESS Joint Committee. “This investment partnership will provide attractive long-term financial returns for our members alongside measurable targets to decarbonise, improve health and create social engagement with local communities with a manager that is fully aligned with all the outcomes desired by our members.”
