We place great importance on responsible and sustainable action in our work. Clear rules and regulations therefore apply to our activities in the areas of environment, social and governance. We have therefore implemented an ESG Policy to guide us in our activities. Our commitment encompasses principles that are aimed at ensuring sustainability and a sense of responsibility in our internal workflows, as well for as our portfolio companies.
With this in mind, we heighten the awareness of our Investment Committee, our whole team, as well as the managers of our portfolio companies by providing training. A DPE employee who has been appointed as an ESG officer is a point of contact for all questions raised by those affected – whether employees, current or potential investors or representatives of the media. He is required to make an active contribution to ensuring that DPE and the portfolio companies observe the policy and to developing it on an ongoing basis. The ESG officer informs DPE’s management without delay about potential risks and holds a trusted position as a person who can be contacted by whistleblowers reporting on breaches of our ESG policies. He documents these cases, as well as the way in which they are handled and progress made while maintaining anonymity, and informs DPE management immediately so that measures can be initiated to rectify the breaches with a plan of action and to exclude them as far as possible in the future.
DPE uses a detailed checklist to analyze the opportunities and risks in the ESG domain, both in terms of potential investments and portfolio companies. Our portfolio companies are required to document their conformity with the ESG guidelines on a regular basis. In doing so, they can also draw on the assistance of an external specialist. In the case of potential investments, DPE follows a process of verification on four levels, while involving business partners as far as possible. In the event that the investment criteria are contravened in a way that cannot be resolved, DPE will refrain from an investment. If the ESG policy is breached, DPE will develop a plan of action together with the company in order to resolve these conflicts. This plan is also to fundamentally include consequences if the obligations defined therein are not complied with.
The DPE investment criteria:
DPE will endeavor to the best of its ability only to invest in accordance with the United Nations’ principles of responsible investment. In particular, DPE will not invest in companies of which the main activity and principle revenues can be assigned to one of the following areas:
