In this month's Company in Focus, we examine Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (Hannon) as a prime example of how an infrastructure REIT can contribute to the low-carbon transition and the development of climate resilient infrastructure.
Infrastructure Real Estate Investment Trusts
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are companies that own, operate, or finance a portfolio of property related assets that generate income. Infrastructure REITs are a specific class of REIT that own and manage infrastructural assets such as telecommunications towers, fibre-optic cable systems, and energy generating sites.
Depending on the assets they hold and invest in, infrastructure REITs have the potential to positively contribute towards sustainable economic development; the purchase and operation of renewable energy-generating sites being the obvious example. However, despite any potential benefits, the ownership and operation of infrastructural real-estate can generate externalities that need to be managed (emissions attributable to site operation and the impacts on local ecosystems and communities being two examples).
Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital
First founded in 1981, Hannon states that it is the first public company within the United States dedicated entirely to making investments in climate positive solutions. To meet this aim, the company maintains an Investment Policy which states it will only invest in projects "focused on reducing the impacts of, or increasing resiliency to, climate change", and that to pass the company's sustainability screening criteria, a proposed investment must either "reduce or be neutral on carbon emissions, or have some other tangible environmental benefit such as reducing water consumption".
Hannon operates in three key-markets:
- "Behind-the-Meter": investments made in this market are focused on building or facilitating-specific energy projects designed to reduce energy use/cost, and can include the installation of on-site energy generation, storage, and efficiency-improvement solutions at sites ranging from university campuses to residential developments.
- "Grid Connected": investments in this market are those made in renewable energy projects, such as onshore wind and solar power installations, that supply renewable energy to existing power grids.
- "Sustainable Infrastructure": investments made within this market are designed to direct capital towards upgrading varying infrastructural assets, ranging from power distribution systems to stormwater infrastructure.
As of the 30th June, 2022, Hannon reports that its portfolio includes more than 350 climate positive investments with a total value of approximately USD 3.9 billion. As of Q1 2022, the portfolio included over 290 investments in energy efficiency projects, and 15.9 GW of installed renewable energy capacity (wind and solar land: 7.9 GW, wind: 4.1 GW, distributed solar: 2.5 GW, grid-connected solar: 1.6 GW).
In addition to being a publicly listed company and allowing investors to buy shares of the company's equity, Hannon also provides opportunities for investors to contribute towards the company's projects by issuing green bonds. It states that, in order to guarantee that capital raised through the sale of bonds is allocated to "eligible green projects", it typically pursues independent verification to ensure alignment with its Green Bond Framework, which was developed in accordance with the ICMA’s Green Bond Principles.
Financing Net-Zero
While it has been established that the transition to a net-zero carbon economy requires financing, estimates for the amount of finance needed vary widely:
- The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (widely referred to as GFANZ) estimates around USD 100 trillion is needed to finance the net-zero transition by 2050.
- The UN High-Level Climate Champions estimate that, in order to meet the net-zero target, USD 125 trillion of "climate investment" is needed by 2050.
- A report by McKinsey suggests spending on physical assets will need to reach USD 275 trillion by 2050 (USD 9.2 trillion per annum as of 2022) to reach net-zero.
However, regardless of the variation in estimations, it is clear that directing capital (both public and private) towards climate positive investment opportunities is necessary for the successful transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient future. As discussed above, Hannon represents a perfect example of an infrastructure REIT that is playing a role in directing capital towards this transition.
Hannon is a company that features on our Ethical Screening Portal. To find out more about this company, or our services please contact info@ethicalscreening.com
Sources:
www.hannonarmstrong.com
Impact Report 2021 (see Hannon website)
www.gfanzero.com/press/amount-of-finance-committed-to-achieving-1-5c-now-at-scale-needed-to-deliver-the-transition/
https://climatechampions.unfccc.int/whats-the-cost-of-net-zero-2/
www.mckinsey.com/mgi/overview/in-the-news/what-it-will-cost-to-get-to-net-zero