Deetken Impact Sustainable Energy (DISE) is proud to be a signatory to the Operating Principles for Impact Management (OPIM) alongside 170 leading impact investors that collectively manage $520 billion in impact assets. The Impact Principles provide a framework for impact investors to ensure impact considerations are integrated into the entire investment lifecycle and are aligned with industry best practices, with the goal of ensuring measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. As each signatory shares their impact investment management practices, the industry will move forward with stronger standards throughout the investment lifecycle.
Our 2023 annual Disclosure Statement describes our commitment to rigorous impact management practices. Over the last decade, the industry has made significant strides towards improved impact measurement, thanks to frameworks such as the OPIM that provide clear guidance for the industry.
“Deetken Impact Sustainable Energy focuses on the growth and development of sustainable energy projects and businesses in Latin America & the Caribbean. Our primary impact objectives include access to clean energy, building resilient energy infrastructure and slowing the pace of climate change, but we are just as committed to ensuring a diverse local workforce, training employees, increasing access to health services, improving water and sanitary systems and advancing gender equality. We appreciate the transparent and strategic approach of the Operating Principles for Impact Management as a way to encourage ourselves to continue advancing our practices and to learn from the progress of our peers.”
Since our previous annual disclosure in 2022, we have deepened gender impact measurement by integrating a comprehensive set of gender-disaggregated impact metrics across areas of the business including leadership, governance, workplace equity, and community engagement. We also led a workshop for our portfolio companies to build awareness and knowledge of topics such as the nexus of gender equality and climate change, gender gaps and opportunities in the energy sector, unconscious bias, and practical actions to incorporate gender considerations at every stage of the energy project lifecycle.
Through tailored technical assistance, we are also working with committed portfolio companies to develop gender-smart business strategies. We are very proud of our portfolio company Soleco Energy for its progress in addressing gender gaps in the communities of influence and sector at large. We accompanied their team over the course of the last year to design and implement a variety of initiatives, such as a three-day “Women in Solar” program in which 19 local women received hands-on training on solar panel assembly and installation.
We also celebrate the example of Rio Betulia Hydroelectric Central, a project operated by General Equipment Supply S.A. (GESSA). In the disclosure statement, we describe their active role in local community development by leading high-impact initiatives such as a cacao agro-farming project that is currently benefiting 25 local families while mitigating deforestation and protecting the river basin.
While there is much room for advancement in impact investing practices, the Operating Principles for Impact Management sets out a unified approach to measuring standards across the ecosystem. We believe that frameworks like these serve to strengthen our combined efforts in developing solutions for the significant social and environmental issues of our time. We are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to the Operating Principles for Impact Management for 2023.
