Compliance

Compliance program

The corporate Compliance Program forms the basis for all relevant compliance-related themes. It consists of a Compliance Charter, an annual Compliance Plan, and a Compliance Manual containing all policies and procedures.

The Compliance Program provides insight into the activities that Amvest carries out to comply with legislation and regulations and serves an informative function for employees, shareholders, investors, regulators, auditors, and other stakeholders.

The RCO, as the internal supervisor of compliance with compliance regulations, is responsible for the execution of the Compliance Program.

Integrity, customer due diligence

Integrity and customer due diligence are key elements of Amvest’s Compliance Program. In 2022, various policies were reviewed and updated following adjustments in internal procedures and the relevant laws and regulations.

Amvest maintains an internal complaints procedure as well as a confidant and an incident reporting system that is reviewed by the external auditor. Integrity is a recurring agenda item at the Management Board and Supervisory Board meetings of Amvest Management B.V..

At the AL&C Fund level, the RCO regularly attends the management team meetings with a minimum of one meeting per quarter and an Advisory Board meeting at least once a year.

The Fund Manager maintains a transaction register, which is compliant with the IVBN guidelines. The register is used to document the AL&C Fund’s property transactions in a transparent manner. All business-to-business property transactions are monitored and documented, so that they can be checked for correctness, legality, and integrity.

Code of conduct

In 2022, as in previous years, all employees of Amvest were asked to sign the internal Amvest Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct is an inseparable part of the employment contract. Revisiting the Code of Conduct on an annual basis creates awareness of integrity and provides the opportunity to adjust the code when necessary.

The Code of Conduct is available on the Amvest website. Active compliance with the Code of Conduct is required by all Amvest employees and the Management Board.

The RCO acts as the central point of contact for all integrity-related issues. All required information shall be made available to the RCO. If deemed necessary, the RCO will make use of the expertise of professional external advisors.

In 2022, there were no noteworthy incidents in relation to integrity. Amvest believes that the measures implemented as part of its corporate integrity policy have been effective.

In addition to the Amvest Code of Conduct, Amvest, as a member of IVBN, complies with the codes of conduct applicable to members of this association.

AWARENESS

Awareness of integrity-related topics is an important theme within Amvest. The Code of Conduct is reviewed and updated annually. Employees receive an explanation of the updates from the RCO and sign the new Code of Conduct annually. Given the ever-increasing digitization of our world, cyber security is also a relevant theme. Random phishing testing to alert employees of suspicious emails is part of the awareness program. Every two years (most recently in 2021), identified AL&C Fund staff and all other employees involved with transactions, Investors, and other relevant business relations, attend a training session on the provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Act (‘Wwft’) and the Dutch Sanctions Act (‘Sw’). It is important for client-facing employees to be aware of related risks and the latest adjustments.

AIFMD and depositary

The AL&C Fund (the AIF) and its Fund Manager (Amvest REIM B.V., the AIFM) are fully within the scope of the AIFM Directive. The Fund Manager obtained its AIFM licence on 26 November 2014. Besides the AL&C Fund, the Fund Manager also manages the Amvest Residential Core Fund and De Utrechtse Fondsen Vastgoed C.V.

The Fund Manager has appointed Intertrust Depositary Services B.V. to act as depositary for the AL&C Fund and has entered into a depositary services agreement with the depositary for the benefit of the AL&C Fund and its Investors in accordance with article 4:37f AFS. The depositary is responsible for the supervision of certain aspects of the Fund’s business in accordance with applicable law and the depositary services agreement.

On 23 December 2016, Amvest REIM B.V. as AIFM filed a request to register the AL&C Fund as an AIF under the licence of Amvest REIM B.V. This was approved by the Dutch Financial Markets Authority (AFM) on 23 January 2017.

Professional liability (Article 9(7) AIFMD)

To cover potential professional liability risks resulting from activities carried out by the Fund Manager, AIFMD provides the Fund Manager with two options:

Hold additional funds which are appropriate in relation to the potential risks arising from professional negligence; or
Carry a professional indemnity insurance against liabilities related to professional negligence, which is appropriate in relation to the potential risks.

The Fund Manager selected the first option when setting up the AL&C Fund. The amount of the additional funds is calculated in accordance with criteria set out in the AIFM Directive and discussed with the Dutch Central Bank (DNB).

At the close of every quarter, the Fund Manager recalculates the value of the portfolio (one of the AIFMD criteria) to determine if significant increases have occurred. If this is the case, the Fund Manager recalculates the additional own funds required without undue delay and adjusts the additional own funds accordingly.

The Fund Manager ensures that the additional own funds are held in cash on the balance sheet of the Fund Manager.

Leverage: Gross and commitment method (Article 109(3) Level II)

For the purpose of AIFMD (report to competent authorities), the leverage of the Fund is expressed as the ratio between the exposure of the Fund and its NAV. The Fund Manager calculates the exposure of the funds managed in accordance with the gross method and the commitment method. AIFMD stipulates a limit of three for the leverage.

Leverage - gross method: (total of assets + notional contract value derivatives -/- cash) / (INREV NAV). Leverage - gross AL&C Fund:

(467,166 + 0 -/- 11,231) / 458,623 = 0.99.

Leverage - commitment method: (total of assets) / (INREV NAV). Leverage - commitment AL&C Fund:

467,166 / 458,623 = 1.02.

Dutch law

The AIFMD requires investment funds to prepare an annual report including a fund manager’s report according to Dutch law. Certain requirements included in the law should be disclosed in the fund manager’s report. The AL&C Fund complies with these requirements. Requirements that are not applicable due to the nature and structure of the AL&C Fund are:

Disclosure on research and development (art 391.2 BW2) is not applicable due to nature of the Fund;
Disclosure on personnel developments (art 391.2 BW2) is not applicable as the Fund has no employees;
Disclosure on funding (art 391.2 BW2) is not applicable as the Fund does not bear external funding.

INREV

Since 2002, the European Association for Investors in Non-listed Real Estate Vehicles (INREV) has published various guidelines and recommendations that were incorporated into a set of standard INREV Guidelines (last significant revision in 2014 with subsequent updates of modules). The AL&C Fund follows these guidelines for all financial ratios, such as NAV, TER, and REER (reference is made to the key figures included in the annexes).

As for property valuations, the appraisal process of the AL&C Fund is compliant with the INREV Guidelines and undertaken by external appraisers.

INREV statement is included in the annexes of the report. INREV Statement include limited assurance by external auditor.
Separate assurance report is included on page 71.

Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation

The European Union has set in motion a legislative program regarding environmental, social and governance (ESG) for the financial services industry. Part of this package is the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (or “SFDR”). The SFDR consists of two levels. The first level concerns high level disclosures on sustainability and has come into effect as of 10 March 2021. The second level concerns regulatory technical standards (“RTS”) which underpin the SFDR and demand more detail in disclosure. The RTS has come into effect per January 2023.

This European information regulation is applicable to financial market parties including pension funds, banks and insurers but it also applies to Amvest as the manager of three supervised funds.

Based on the SFDR, Amvest, in its role as manager, is required to set out:

how it plans to deal with sustainability risks in its investment decisions and what the consequences of this will be;
publish information about the way in which the negative impact of investments on sustainability factors will be handled; and
set out how it deals with sustainability in its investment decision policy and its remuneration policy and to detail the consequences of its approach.

In addition, the regulation contains transparency requirements at fund level. For these requirements we refer to the funds under Amvest management:

Amvest Residential Core Fund;
De Utrechtse Fondsen Vastgoed C.V.;
Amvest Living & Care Fund.

Integration of sustainability risks into investment decision policy for investment decisions

Based on the SFDR, Amvest is required to indicate how it takes sustainability risks into account in its investment decisions. Sustainability risk is defined as an event or circumstance in the environmental, societal or governance sphere that, if it occurred, would actually have or could potentially have an adverse effect on the value of the investment.

On behalf of the investors in funds under its management, Amvest invests in residential real estate. For investments in real estate, specific sustainability risks are relevant. Real estate is subject to the following:

Transition risks – risks based on the transfer from a fossil economy to a climate-neutral economy.

Based on additional laws and regulations and/or changes to the current laws and regulations, new requirements can be placed on the energy usage and CO₂ emissions of real estate. These developments can have consequences for the value of the real estate investments and can lead to costs associated with making real estate objects more sustainable.

Climate risk – (physical) risks resulting from climate change

In certain areas, buildings or the ground on which has been built, may get damaged during extreme weather such as heat, or due to slow developments such as rising sea levels. This may result in a lower valuation of the real estate investments.

Social risks – risks resulting from social trends and developments.

It is important that Amvest focuses on the satisfaction of tenants and the affordability of the homes based on its mission “Giving people a great home” and “Fair living for all generations.”

Not advocating well enough for the interests of tenants may result in a lower tenant satisfaction. As a result, homes can be less attractive to tenants.

Potential i) additional costs for maintenance, ii) lower rental income and iii) lower valuation of real estate are possible consequences that can result in a decline of the return of investment of the real estate funds managed by Amvest. For this reason, the sustainability risks are taken into account in investment decisions. Amvest has implemented these requirements as follows:

when purchasing a new-build complex, the schedule of requirements is the minimum that must be complied with. This schedule includes a minimum of technical and sustainability requirements that are often more stringent than the current building code. For new-build complexes pursuant to the building regulations, stringent rules apply with regard to the expected energy usage and CO₂ emissions2. These data are recorded and guarantee that new investments comply with the most recent requirements;
when there is intent to acquire an existing complex, an extensive and thorough inspection of the quality and sustainability of the complex forms part of the acquisition process. If the complex does not meet the defined objectives as outlined in the current Portfolio Plan (e.g. the required energy label) and there is no cost-effective way to bring the building up to the desired sustainability level (in due course), then as a rule the purchase will not take place ;
For the various real estate portfolios, Amvest has formulated CO₂ reduction objectives and will be measuring by how much the CO₂ emissions of the real estate portfolio have been reduced. Based on this analysis it is determined which complexes are eligible for a sustainability investment (e.g. solar panels or renovation) or disinvestment (sale of complex). Making the portfolios more sustainable is the starting point in managing the transition risk and investment decisions will be geared to achieving this aim.
Amvest provides insight into physical climate risks based on climate risk scans. Based on these scans, a clear image can be created of the exposure of real estate objects to various types of physical risks;
An annual survey is conducted on the topic of tenant satisfaction among tenants of the existing complexes, and, based on the results, we identify which areas could be improved;
Both in the individual investment decisions and at portfolio level, the affordability of homes will be examined, with, as a starting point, a focus on the mid-range segment.

The described measures and frameworks have been included in various documents, including the Programme of Requirements, which newly acquired real estate must comply with, fund terms and conditions, portfolio plans, quarterly reports and annual reports. The measures described ensure that sustainability risks, particularly in terms of the environment, are taken into account in investment decisions with the aim of preventing risks as much as possible.

Taking into account negative impacts on sustainability factors

Investments in real estate can have a negative impact on sustainability factors – environmental and societal. For example, investments in homes that are not energy efficient can have a negative impact on the climate. Amvest therefore does all that it can to take such negative effects into account when making investment decisions. When selecting, managing and selling properties, we check whether our decision has a negative impact on certain sustainability factors.

Providing insight into and limiting the negative effects of real estate on environmental factors is easily done. Amvest currently views CO₂ emissions and the energy use and consumption of its investments as the most important negative effects of real estate on sustainability factors.

When it comes to acquiring real estate, the Amvest acquisition policy sets out a number of criteria that acquisitions are required to meet. One of these criteria is that acquisitions have to be in line with Amvest’s sustainability ambition and the objectives defined at fund level. The guiding principle is that acquisitions must increase the sustainability of the portfolios. Together with the schedule of requirements, this ensures that negative effects on sustainability factors are taken into account when making an investment decision.

An investment decision is based on an investment proposal. Amvest first discusses an investment proposal extensively in a range of bodies before being permitted and able to take a decision. In this decision-making process, the intended acquisition is discussed at length in relation to the predetermined criteria laid down in the fund conditions and portfolio plans of the three funds. This comparison is explicitly recorded in the investment proposal and discussed in the various bodies. Each fund has its own framework and governance bodies.

If an existing investment is shown to have a possible unfavourable effect on sustainability factors, then the likelihood of this unfavourable effect occurring and the severity of the impact will be examined based on a property analysis and the available data among other things once a year. Based on this analysis, Amvest can take the decision either to modernise this investment until it once again meets the requirements, or to sell it.

Amvest supports a number of international standards focused on including sustainability aspects into operations and on investing. For example, Amvest and its funds take part in the GRESB benchmark. GRESB is the annual worldwide benchmark on ESG themes (Environmental, Social, Governance). Amvest is also signatory for the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI), an international commitment for investors that promotes the integration of ESG into investment decisions. Based on the UN PRI a report must be made of the way in which Amvest has given substance to this commitment.

Integrating sustainability into remuneration policy

On the basis of the SFDR, the remuneration policy must be consistently aligned with the sustainability objectives of the manager and the funds, and must incorporate the management of sustainability risks into the remuneration policy. Amvest has implemented these requirements as follows:

for all Amvest employees, part of the variable remuneration depends on the execution of the annual portfolio plans and the achievement of predefined targets. Portfolio plans contain non-financial sustainability targets as well as financial targets in the area of sustainability;
benchmarking customer satisfaction and sustainability (GRESB) against formulated targets is part of the remuneration policy;
the remuneration policy provides for a partially deferred payment of variable remuneration for key employees, including the fund director and portfolio manager;
the remuneration policy provides for the possibility of reversing or reclaiming (in full or in part) the variable remuneration awarded and/or paid to key employees if and in so far as that variable remuneration was based on criteria which subsequently proved to be incorrect.

SFDR at the fund level

On the basis of the SFDR, financial market participants are required to indicate how they handle sustainability risks and to detail the consequences of this approach. In addition, the regulation contains transparency requirements at fund level.

The regulation distinguishes between:

funds that are not promoted as sustainable (grey);
funds that promote environmental or societal characteristics (light-green);
funds with sustainable investments as their objective (dark-green)

The Amvest Living & Care Fund qualifies as a light-green fund which promotes the following environmental and social characteristics:

Environmental characteristics

1. Investing in energy efficient future proof properties.
2. Realizing a reduction of CO₂ emissions.

Social characteristics

3. Ensuring high quality living environment.
4. Focus on the provision of healthcare related real estate for i) elderly people who have a significant care indication due to somatic and/or psychogeriatric limitations and can no longer live independently (verpleeghuiszorg); ii) people who have physical or mental disabilities and cannot live independently (gehandicaptenzorg), iii) people who have a light to moderate demand for care, regardless of whether they are able to live independently and iv) elderly people who need various levels of medical or personal care (assisted living).

These characteristics are part of the fund’s strategy and the individual aspects and are reflected in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These KPIs are defined and measured at fund level. A target is set for each KPI that is measured and reported. The KPIs and targets are evaluated annually and adjusted if necessary.

KPIs defined and measured for these characteristics are:

Environmental characteristics

1. Composition of the portfolio by energy labels.
2. Scope 1, 2 and 3 CO₂ emissions of the properties.

Social characteristics

3. Annual tenant satisfaction score on the accommodation aspect.
4. Composition of the portfolio in the four health care segments.

For more information on the KPIs defined, the results of the past year, the data sources and screening criteria, please refer to the Annual Sustainability Report of the Amvest Living & Care Fund and specifically for SFDR to attached Sustainability related disclosures.

The Amvest Living & Care Fund qualifies as an ‘article 8’ product under the SFDR and, as such, promotes Environmental/Social (E/S) characteristics. Whilst it does not have sustainable investment as its objective, it has a proportion of 99% in sustainable investments with an environmental objective in economic activities that do not qualify as environmentally sustainable under the EU Taxonomy. All these investments also qualify as investments in sustainable investments with a social objective.

Results 2022

Periodic reporting on compliance to ecological and/or social characteristics is included in our annex. More information on SFDR and results related to our sustainable investment policies are included on our website where we also annually publish the Statement on principal adverse impacts of investment decisions on sustainability factors (PAI statement). This statement contains our policies related to determination and prioritizing the most important adverse impacts on sustainability and a description of the most important adverse effects including related data sources and processing.

KPI’s relevant to SFDR are included throughout our annual reporting and contain limited assurance by KPMG. Please refer to annex for complete set of assured KPI’s and to page 59 for the limited assurance report by KPMG.

Outlook 2023

In order to comply with the expectations of our investors, AFM and other regulators in relation to sustainability we will report on ESG aspects promoted by the fund and on aspects that may cause negative impact on sustainability.