Private Equity Increases Sustainability Focus

The uptake of sustainable investment strategies by alternative investment funds such as private equity has increased in recent years, as a report published in October by US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment found.

By 2011, according to the report, 233 private equity and venture capital funds with $33.9 billion in assets were incorporating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria into investment strategies. A number of factors contributed to the uptake of ESG considerations by private equity funds; according to Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that seeks market solutions to environmental problems,”Just a few years ago it was hard to find a PE firm that reported publicly on much of anything.” More…

Source: SocialFunds