ESG update
11 April 2022
Comment: Unlocking private markets’ ESG potential
Hemal Mehta, founder and CEO of AtomInvest discusses the importance of sophisticated tech when it comes to ESG data collection, analysis and reporting
7 April 2022
Aztec hires head of ESG and sustainability
Caroline Mantoura joins from Accenture, having served as director of operations
14 March 2022
LISTEN: Lessons learned with Steve Darrington
Our latest podcast details his approach to risk management, walking the line between optimism and realism, and thinking the unthinkable.
2 February 2022
IIGCC publishes net zero guidance for PE
The guidance aims to incorporate net zero strategies for institutional investors with multi-asset portfolios
31 January 2022
100 LPs and GPs commit to ESG data convergence project
The group aims to streamline ESG data collection and reporting, leading to greater transparency
27 January 2022
SFDR remains a double-edged sword
The benefits and challenges of the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) were put to debate at our recent ESG conference
18 January 2022
Invest Europe developing ESG reporting standards
The new standards are expected to be developed and established by summer 2022
4 January 2022
Comment: The year ESG went mainstream
Sofiya Bumagin, managing associate at Linklaters discusses how ESG is fast becoming a PE megatrend, and the challenges yet to be overcome
9 December 2021
Triton secures €1.455bn ESG-linked fund facility
New facility is earmarked for speeding up ESG efforts in Triton V, a €5.2bn fund closed in 2018
9 December 2021
Majority of managers say greenwashing is a problem
Most managers support the FCA’s adoption of the TCFD reporting framework
9 November 2021
AIMA CEO Jack Inglis: Community and interconnectedness have never been more important
AIMA’s CEO Jack Inglis was appointed as HFC’s chair in January 2020. He reveals how the charity responded to initial fundraising challenges brought about by the pandemic, the uncomfortable positions he found himself in, and why HFC plays such an important role in building a peer-based community
5 November 2021
BC Partners joins Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials
Membership marks the first private equity firm to join the PCAF
3 November 2021
GHO promotes Rankine to sustainable investing director
Rankine will lead the integration of ESG considerations throughout the GHO investment process
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
24 September 2021
The Drawdown Awards 2021: Winners announced
Congratulations to the winners of our recent 2021 Drawdown Awards
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
25 August 2021
Domicile watch: August 2021
Key takeaways from the major PE domiciles: including the FCA's third consultation paper on UK IFPR, Guernsey's appointment of a strategic adviser for green and sustainable finance and Hong Kong's SFC amended fund manager code of conduct
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
27 July 2021
ICG secures €1.45bn ESG-linked sub-line
Facility was provided by Standard Chartered Bank, BNP Paribas, ANZ Banking Group, ING Bank, and Royal Bank of Canada
26 July 2021
The Drawdown Awards: GP finalists announced
We are pleased to present the GP finalists for The Drawdown Awards 2021
8 July 2021
The Drawdown Awards 2021: Finalists Announced
Thank you to everyone who entered, and a massive congratulations to all those that made the shortlist
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.”
17 June 2021
KPMG joins campaign for reporting taxonomy
KPMG UK has become a founding member of Private Capital Data Standards Alliance (PCDS Alliance – formerly ADS Initiative)
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
2 June 2021
Waterland closes €500m ESG-linked bridge loan
"We are rapidly moving towards a world wherein all finance is linked to sustainability in one way or another"
26 May 2021
Nordic Capital secures ESG-linked facility
The revolving facility is linked to Nordic Capital Fund X, which closed on €6.1bn in October 2020
10 May 2021
AlpInvest secures ESG-linked sub-line
ABN AMRO arranged the facility while Rabobank acted as sustainability co-ordinator
4 May 2021
WATCH: What do LPs do with all the data?
A recent webinar discussion explored the way in which data is being communicated, how technology is helping both GPs and LPs, and what LPs are doing with all the information
28 April 2021
LISTEN: Do we even need standardisation? Episode 2
The second instalment of a recent podcast discussion examined industry body reporting efforts, and asked if standardised reporting is still necessary?
21 April 2021
LISTEN: Do we even need standardisation? Episode 1
A recent podcast discussion explored technological advances in data transmission, and asked if standardised reporting is still necessary?
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
MUFG IS launches ESG reporting tool
The reporting tool initially uses RepRisk data and MUFG IS plans to add further data sources
25 March 2021
Domicile watch: March 2021
Key takeaways from the major PE domiciles: including Jersey's changes to its AML/CFT handbooks, Guernsey's review of its Green Fund accreditation and Ireland's Green Team network launch
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
10 March 2021
Palatine invests in Anthesis
The fresh capital will support Anthesis’ growth plans, both organic and acquisitive, as well as accelerating its digitalisation
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
21 January 2021
Private Equity Service Provider Awards: Winners announced
Winners of the Private Equity Service Provider Awards revealed
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
5 January 2021
BWAM gains PE sponsors
Blackstone, CD&R, Goodwin, Latham & Watkins and Livingbridge join as institutional members and sponsors
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
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
23 November 2020
Comment: Stepping back (rather than looking back)
Nicola Morgan of The North Star Partnership urges leaders to take a step back and consider the potential opportunities of re-invention and innovation brought about by the pandemic
18 November 2020
Apex partners with RepRisk
The partnership enables Apex’s clients to access RepRisk analytics reports and case data on private companies via Apex’s ESG rating and advisory portal
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
2 November 2020
Comment: Preparing for the second wave
Dörte Hoppner, COO of Riverside Europe, highlights the importance of people and talent management as we face more months of uncertainty
26 October 2020
Comment: The ‘new office politics’
IC Intelligence chief strategist Dr Desné Masie, says the worst isn't over for real estate funds
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
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
10 September 2020
A true alternative
From alternative law firm to publicly listed full-suite asset management consultancy, MJ Hudson has had an outstanding decade
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