ESG policy
28 October 2021
Profile: Jon Fredrik Vassengen, Argentum
The manager and compliance officer discusses how the fund-of-fund determines ESG criteria and the challenges of collecting quantitative ESG data
19 October 2021
MSCI and Burgiss launch Carbon Footprinting tool
Tool combines private company data from Burgiss with modelling developed by MSCI ESG Research for estimating corporate carbon emissions
19 October 2021
LPs increasingly aware of data gaps in ESG reporting
The quality of ESG reporting is improving in private equity, but not enough areas are being covered
18 October 2021
GP transparency and tech: room for improvement
According to SS&C Intralinks' survey, 69% of LPs were ‘moderately satisfied’ with the technology capabilities of the GPs they currently invest with
15 October 2021
EQT formalises SBTs to address climate change
EQT has become the first private markets firm to do so, through the SBTi
30 September 2021
Only 50% of GPs measuring carbon footprint
According to Apex research, 81% of GPs agreed they and their portfolio companies should take more responsibility for their carbon footprint
23 September 2021
Net zero financial service providers alliance launches
The alliance was launched to accelerate the transition to a net zero financial system
22 September 2021
IPEM 2021: Sustainability’s increasing importance
Alain Godard, CEO of the European Investment Fund talks about the increased importance of sustainability as well as EIF’s contribution to the sustainability agenda
21 September 2021
IPEM 2021: Europe leads the way for ESG
Magnus Billing, CEO of Alecta talks about Europe being a leader for ESG, and why PE firms have a great opportunity to be catalysts in reaching the sustainability goals
13 September 2021
IPEM 2021: PE is ready
Claire Chabrier, president of France Invest discusses how the Covid pandemic has accelerated innovation, climate issues and social responsibility
8 September 2021
SS&C launches ESG reporting solution
"We see the growing manager and investor demand to incorporate ESG metrics into client reporting at the manager and portfolio level."
7 September 2021
Carlyle secures €2.3bn ESG-linked facility
Revolving credit facility is linked to boosting board diversity, tackling climate change and ESG-competent training
19 August 2021
ILPA seeks feedback on DDQ and DEI metrics
These latest updates aim to reflect the changes in the industry over the past several years, specifically around ESG and DEI
2 August 2021
CGE receives B Corp certification
The status confirms the firm’s high social and environmental standards, as part of its broader investment strategy and activities
29 July 2021
ILPA launches LP ESG framework
The framework helps LPs evaluate and benchmark GP responses to DD, inform goal setting conversations with GPs and measure ESG integration progress over time
22 July 2021
Profile: Feizal Moossa, Adenia Partners
The chief risk officer discusses the importance of his role within private equity, how his responsibilities have evolved since joining Adenia in 2003 as well as operating without an in-house legal team
21 July 2021
Core values biggest influence on ESG attitudes
52% of GPs believe their firm’s core values have the greatest influence on their attitude and activity with regards to ESG and sustainability
19 July 2021
ESG deal DD key dataset for LPs
60% of LPs believe the most important dataset to determine a GP's ESG focus, is the way in which ESG is embedded into the investment process
13 July 2021
FCA, PRA & BoE outline D&I initiatives
“Regulators and industry need to work together to increase diversity at senior levels and ensure the UK’s financial services firms are best equipped to serve the economy”
6 July 2021
Lack of standardisation biggest threat to ESG
“Without one standardised framework for reporting standards, we will continue to see firms mixing and matching various guidelines, hindering long-term process in the area.”
14 June 2021
LPs increasingly concerned by tax and regulatory changes
43% of LPs identified regulatory changes as the greatest risk to PE returns
9 June 2021
New horizons: Carbon pricing
Professor Gianfranco Gianfrate, Climate Finance Lead and Professor of Finance at the EDHEC-Risk Institute, says carbon pricing is happening and managers need to prepare
8 June 2021
Private equity must address climate change risk
“Climate change presents unprecedented business opportunities for the industry in addition to risks”
10 May 2021
AlpInvest secures ESG-linked sub-line
ABN AMRO arranged the facility while Rabobank acted as sustainability co-ordinator
6 May 2021
Diligencing diversity
Gender diversity is a key issue for private capital markets, but are LPs digging deep enough when diligencing fund managers?
5 May 2021
A guide to improving gender diversity
What can PE houses do to better their employee ratios? Sasha Graham of Equality Group provides her top insights
26 April 2021
Accountability main focus for improving DE&I
ILPA Diversity in Action (DIA) signatories have set up cross-functional councils, committees or task forces
19 April 2021
WATCH: Cybersecurity, and ESG concern
Cybersecurity is a matter of good governance, as well as reputation and risk management - putting it at the heart of ESG practices
30 March 2021
European GPs continue to outperform on ESG
New ratings from ASI’s 2020 ESG survey found the majority of European GPs scored highly
25 March 2021
Comment: An opportunity to fly ahead of the curve
Mikaela Murekian, director and head of ESG at Greenbrook, asks if a new approach to air travel could help GPs in their response to increased ESG pressure from LPs
22 March 2021
Protecting and enhancing value: Managing human rights risks across your portfolio
Sam Eastwood, James Ford, and Libby Reynolds of Mayer Brown predict greater focus on human rights due diligence processes
4 March 2021
Deeper Perspective: The UK Funds Regime
Benjamin Lamping, founder of Reframe Capital asks: Are we at risk of missing a potential watershed moment for the UK funds industry, and a genuine post-Brexit opportunity?
25 February 2021
Profile: Alexis Crusey, Aberdeen Standard Investments
The director of private markets product strategy, impact & ESG discusses the differences between ESG and impact investing, the importance of D&I as well as how its portfolio risk platform PRISM considers ESG factors
11 February 2021
5 minutes with… Guy Battle, Social Value Portal
As ESG’s visibility continues to increase, finding ways to measure and report efforts remains tricky. Social Value Portal’s CEO Guy Battle explains how their framework attributes monetary values to social impact
4 February 2021
Third of GPs prioritising returns over ESG
According to the latest figures from EY, while 68% of GP respondents take ESG seriously when it comes to investment decisions, a large minority - 32% - said returns are more important
11 January 2021
The ESG tech wave
From static and infrequent DDQs to real-time, performance linked, fully integrated improvements; ESG is fast-becoming a tech play
22 December 2020
2020 in review: D&I firmly on the agenda
A look back at our diversity & inclusion highlights in PE during 2020
16 December 2020
Cathay Capital appoints chief impact officer
Matthieu van der Elst joins from Michelin Ventures, the venture arm of the Michelin Group, which he founded in 2015
14 December 2020
Class of 2020
A cross-section of industry practitioners share their greatest lessons of this year
8 December 2020
2020 in review: Regulatory complexity
A look back at the regulatory transformation around the AIFMD in the private equity market in 2020
7 December 2020
ILPA launches diversity initiative
Following the launch of its ‘Diversity in Action’ initiative, ILPA has announced the founding signatories; 46 GPs and LPs.
7 December 2020
NAVs won’t return to pre-pandemic levels until 2022
80% of Duff & Phelps survey respondents believe up to 30% of private market investments won’t recover their pre-pandemic values until 2022 or beyond
18 November 2020
City Hive launches D&I kitemark
It enables investment managers to address, assess and catalyse an improvement in the culture within their own organisation, as well as the wider industry, and their portfolios
17 November 2020
PE ESG reports “too superficial”
Brackendale’s latest survey found LPs are dissatisfied with PE ESG reports because they lack detail, are too vague and provide superficial statements on intent
13 November 2020
PE’s response to systematic risks: room for improvement
Analysis of 100 PE firms found lacklustre responses to the triple crises of Covid, climate change and racial injustice
12 November 2020
Culture shock: ESG, compliance and LPs
We caught up with representatives from PE houses across Europe to find out how ESG, compliance and investors have impacted culture
5 November 2020
Profile: Shami Nissan, Actis
The head of responsible investment discusses how the firm ensures its investment strategy is carried out to high standards, ESG regulations entering the market next year and challenges around investing in emerging markets
26 October 2020
BWAM calls on industry to dismantle racial inequities
BWAM's open letter to investment firms calls on them to commit to action, activism, and accountability to dismantle the racial inequities plaguing society
19 October 2020
UN launches SDG impact standards for PE
The standards are voluntary and freely available for use as best practice standards and a self-assessment tool
15 October 2020
Human traffic
We caught up with PER about the latest hiring trends and return to office activity across the UK and Germany
1 October 2020
Private equity’s return to work
Taylor Wessing partners Emma Danks and Helen Farr outline the key litigation risks of returning to the office
24 September 2020
Comment: Culture drives results
Riverside COO Dörte Höppner believes culture is intrinsic to performance, and now is the time to talk about it
21 September 2020
Comment: Cross-border marketing of funds
Richard Small, partner of Addleshaw Goddard, deciphers increasing complexities around crossborder marketing rules
17 September 2020
Profile: Debojit Mukherjee, Agilitas Private Equity
The chief operating officer discusses what attracted him to his role, how the firm measures and tracks ESG and why their Sustainable Value Creation report is so important
14 September 2020
ESG: From checkbox to value creation
Private equity firms have been dutifully integrating ESG reporting, but few use it as a genuine driver of value
28 August 2020
LISTEN: MUFG’s Mike Dickey on ESG reporting
Alice Murray talks to Mike Dickey, head of product at MUFG Investor Services, about the data flow of ESG information between GP and LP
27 August 2020
Comment: Compliance and ESG - Overhead or value-driver?
The crisis will likely bring about more stringent financial and environmental regulations; cutting compliance and ESG resources could bear greater costs, warns Robin Lööf and Edoardo Troina at Debevoise & Plimpton
13 August 2020
Comment: ESG regulation is coming
Jan Gruter of Addleshaw Goddard deciphers what new regulatory frameworks could mean for private equity
10 August 2020
Comment: PE & ESG… It’s time to look at your technology providers
George Ralph, managing director of RFA believes service providers are next in line for communicating their ESG credentials
3 August 2020
The Impact Investing Operating Principles: the power of independence
Audits and regulatory practices are vital for tracking cash, but where are the equivalents for environmental and social impacts?