MetLife's Commitment to Responsible Investing: Infrastructure, Green Projects, and Impact Investments


08/07/2024


For over 150 years, MetLife has upheld a commitment to its stakeholders, guided by its Code of Business Ethics. As a responsible investor, MetLife focuses on maintaining a long-term, value-driven portfolio that not only seeks financial returns but also considers social and environmental impacts to foster healthier communities and a more sustainable future. MetLife’s investment strategy emphasizes key areas such as infrastructure, green initiatives, municipal bonds, affordable housing, and impact investments.
 
Key Areas of Responsible Investing
 
Infrastructure Investments:
MetLife invests in infrastructure projects that drive job creation and economic growth, including the development and enhancement of airports, ports, roads, pipelines, transmission lines, and power generation. In 2023, MetLife committed $44 million to a private infrastructure deal with Solek Chile, a leader in solar photovoltaic (PV) projects under Chile’s “PMGD” regime, which supports distributed energy generation to reduce the country’s environmental impact.
 
Green Investments:
MetLife supports companies and projects that prioritize natural resource conservation, alternative energy, and environmentally friendly business practices. For example, MetLife’s partnership with Dutch Pension Fund PGGM at Intersect, a California office park, involves the installation of solar panels and a battery energy storage system to meet the majority of the park's energy needs. Additionally, MetLife invests in the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) sector, financing improvements like solar panel installations and energy-efficient systems to enhance property resilience against climate change. In 2023, MetLife expanded its C-PACE facility with Twain Financial Partners, reaching a total of $76.2 million across 13 commercial properties.
 
Municipal Bonds:
MetLife’s investments in municipal bonds support infrastructure, education, and community services across more than 450 communities in 44 states and Washington, D.C. These investments fund environmental, water, and clean energy projects, as well as initiatives with positive social outcomes, such as affordable housing. In 2023, MetLife invested $27 million in Single Family Mortgage bonds issued by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, aimed at providing home loans and downpayment assistance to low- and moderate-income families, aligning with the International Capital Market Association’s Social Bond Principles.
 
Affordable Housing Investments:
MetLife invests in quality housing projects that promote financial health and benefit communities by partnering with nonprofit organizations to offer affordable rental housing to low-income earners, including essential workers and the elderly.
 
Impact Investments:
Since 1984, MetLife has been engaged in impact investing, with a goal to originate $500 million in new impact investments from 2020 to 2030. These investments, totaling approximately $50 million annually, focus on promoting financial health and addressing climate change. MetLife’s impact investments are designed to generate positive societal outcomes, fostering community development, inclusion, and equity. Recent investments include the Blackstar Stability Distressed Debt Fund, which addresses housing affordability and home security, and Impact Investment Exchange’s Women Livelihood Bond VI, which supports gender equality and climate action by funding businesses and projects that benefit women and sustainable development.
 
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