私募股权基金经理的ESG最佳实践

越来越强调可持续, 社会ly responsible and mission-related investing has raised expectations for middle market private equity fund managers to show greater transparency on environmental, 社会, 和治理(ESG)问题. A push for ESG policy development and reporting of financial and nonfinancial issues is apparent in ongoing portfolio management, 在&对买方和卖方交易进行尽职调查. 这就是聪明的商业, as there is overwhelming evidence having a strong ESG proposition can increase a portfolio company’s valuation.

私募股权公司对ESG的重视也在自然而然地发生, as investment managers realize the business value of tracking ESG for raising capital and attracting top diverse talent, 根据RSM的ESG咨询服务实践. More general partners (GPs) are voluntarily becoming signatories of internationally recognized commitments, 例如联合国的负责任投资原则(PRI), as a public pledge to include ESG factors in investment decision-making and active ownership.

“私人股本 funds that want to differentiate themselves in today’s increasingly competitive market should focus on aligning their investment practices with ESG goals,安东尼·迪坎迪多说, RSM ESG咨询服务业务的合伙人. 这么多都取决于结果, it may be worthwhile for middle market fund managers to create a custom playbook for their firm. 虽然它需要承诺，有很多考虑因素, 潜在的影响不容低估.

“能够阐述ESG最佳实践，并展示自己如何践行的全科医生, meaning embedding it into the firm’s core business activities including corporate culture, will be viewed as influential leaders in the industry and more attractive to institutional investors,DeCandido说, 谁也是该公司的金融服务高级分析师.

制定具有最终目标的ESG战略

萨尔皮特杰克, vwin德赢娱乐RSM公司ESG咨询服务业务主管, 表示私募股权集团必须解决的第一个问题是, “我们为什么要这样做? 公司的ESG计划应该反映最终目标, 是否关注合规性驱动的战略转型, 旨在吸引顶尖人才加入公司, 或者与ESG相关的行业最佳实践保持同步.” 

私募股权基金的ESG考量

每只基金都有自己的ESG问题组合, 从员工事务到负责任的投资实践等等. 以下是私募股权基金经理共同关注的领域:

• 员工灵活性需求
  • 增强灵活性支持，推出灵活性培训
  • 扩大了自我管理休假的资格
  • 灵活的夏季转换
• 职业发展
  • 促销活动
  • 持续专业发展和教育报销
• 远程或灵活的工作环境
  • Health certifications, return to office policies and PPE for safe and healthy work environments
  • 实现远程工作的技术和创新
  • 办公室旅馆式办公
• 识别
  • 感恩餐盒
• 金融安全
  • 奖金
  • 推广基地
  • 退休计划及/或利润匹配
• 身体健康
  • 保费假期
  • 远程医疗服务
  • 健身房会员资格和/或健身津贴
  • 雇主支付健康福利和/或免除COVID-19检测的自付费用
  • 健康的饮食习惯
• 精神健康
  • 咨询，指导，冥想和正念vwin娱乐场官方
• 家庭支持
  • 后备儿童和老人照顾
  • 虚拟学习和辅导vwin娱乐场官方
  • 托儿服务
  • 护士站在办公室
• 劳动力
  • 多元化、公平和包容政策和项目
  • 商业道德
• 数据安全
  • 安全印刷
  • 数码档案政策
• 环境
  • 基本旅行政策
  • 公共交通和停车补偿 
  • 办公室里有可重复使用的瓶子和杯子
  • 办公室堆肥
  • 运动检测办公室的用电和用水情况
• 投资
  • 负责任的投资政策
  • 系统性风险管理

了解驱动关键利益相关者的因素是良好的第一步. Fund managers can leverage tools such as stakeholder mapping to identify internal and external groups and their level of influence. Creating a visual representation makes it easier to develop a holistic communication plan aimed at getting everyone aligned.

“无论关键驱动因素是什么, 他们将在帮助决定基金组织ESG之旅的结果方面发挥至关重要的作用,萨尔彼得补充道。. 

每只基金都有自己的ESG问题组合 but a common area of focus for PE managers is to deliver effective employee benefits. 一个全面的健康战略应该考虑到身体, 心理和财务健康，帮助员工实现工作与生活的平衡, 它的意思在不断演变.

例如, sustainable living trends have heightened expectations for employers to provide greener office environments. 对工作场所公平的更加重视导致了多元化, 公平和包容政策和项目. 对越来越多的专业人士来说也是如此, 工作本身需要目的, 哪一点强调了建立负责任的投资实践的价值, 透明度和公平性.

随着基金经理开始考虑ESG机会, 他们应该试着把它们与当前的优先事项联系起来. 很有可能公司已经在做这些事情了, which can lead to quick wins if these efforts are enhanced and promoted as part of the fund’s ESG story to stakeholders.  

建立一个适合贵组织的ESG框架

没有放之四海而皆准的ESG报告框架. 在理想的情况下, the framework a firm chooses should enable the organization to achieve strategic business goals in alignment with its corporate values. Fund managers should not be overly concerned with checking the box for every ESG element, as it is far more important to focus on the factors most relevant and meaningful to stakeholders and which drive the greatest performance and societal outcomes.

It may be helpful to reference available reporting frameworks as a starting point and then evolve the firm’s ESG strategy from there. 例如, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) provides guidance uniquely tailored for investors. SASB标准是特定于行业的，并且是由度量驱动的, 专注于财务上的重要性, which makes them valuable for integrating ESG considerations into investment and stewardship decisions across the enterprise. 

鼓励参与ESG以确保项目一致性

随着投资和价值创造之间的联系越来越被接受, efforts by the private equity industry to integrate ESG into core business activities at both firms and their portfolio companies will continue to increase. 

“We’ve heard from private equity clients that the internal push to establish ESG programs has been in part grassroots driven by millennial staff members because of their generational mindset geared toward 社会 and environmental consciousness,萨尔彼得说。.

He recommends for fund managers to take a bottom-up approach to collect perspectives around ESG priorities. 更好的是, assemble a task force of cross-functional team members to identify and evaluate risks and opportunities, 专注于长期价值创造. Having equal representation across the firm will ease program alignment and drive more successful ESG outcomes. 

衡量ESG绩效以确定成功与否

“The adage ‘what you don’t measure you can’t manage’ certainly applies to ESG program management. 特别具有挑战性的是没有统一的报告要求, 因此，必须在公司内部进行基准测试, 在它的同侪群体中, 在它经营的行业内,DeCandido说. 

当然，如果没有与利益相关者沟通，结果就不重要了. Fund managers should leverage the power of branding to distinguish themselves from competitors, 从ESG报告开始. 最佳实践包括建立一个强有力的使命宣言, 设定指标来显示对公司重要的事情，并分享成功. 

“讲述ESG故事的重要性怎么强调都不为过, and there are many different vehicles and voices that can be leveraged to help spread the word, 包括你自己的员工,萨尔彼得说。. “全科医生通过新闻稿宣传故事是非常有价值的, 投资者的沟通, 他们的网站或ESG报告. 让他们与他们的社区进行社交，可以让信息变得真实和有力.”

由PitchBook出版 可持续投资调查.