EQT Receives Pantheon’s GP Responsible Investment Award 2013

“EQT is a strong responsible investment advocate. They have inspired smaller players and encouraged positive changes in the private equity market place. ESG considerations are truly an integral part of how EQT operates. Everyone within the firm speaks knowledgeably about these issues. EQT and Pantheon have been working together for many years and we have seen first-hand their success with ESG. Today, they set important standards for the private equity industry,” says Dushy Sivanithy, Principal at Pantheon in the firm’s London office.

Pantheon is a leading global private equity and infrastructure fund investor, investing in a number of EQT’s funds. They were one of the first private equity fund managers to sign up to the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment Initiative (UN PRI). Pantheon is a frontrunner and leader within the responsible investment community and plays an important role in the discussions within UN PRI and the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA). To highlight the importance of good responsible investing practices at general partners, Pantheon established the GP Responsible Investment Award in 2012, applying the following criteria:

• Eligible general partners are those within Pantheon's primary, secondary and co-investment portfolio
• Evidence that the firm has fully integrated ESG considerations into the investment process
• The general partner should demonstrate how they have successfully handled and resolved responsible investing ( RI) issues faced in portfolio companies

Environmental, social and governance factors have always been a central part of EQT’s investment and development process, and corporate culture. EQT has a fundamental belief that ESG factors affect performance and can both create and protect value. Over time, EQT has taken a number of steps to formalize the way ESG matters are addressed within EQT. Examples are the adoption of a comprehensive Responsible Investment Policy, the signing of the UN PRI in 2010 and the establishment of a core responsible investment working group, the RI Working Group, within the investment advisor EQT Partners. The RI Working Group promotes RI awareness internally and supports the investment advisory professionals during the investment evaluation process as well as in the integration and monitoring of ESG matters within the EQT funds’ portfolio companies. EQT also actively engages in the various responsible investment forums within EVCA as another way of showing its dedication to ESG and RI related matters.

“EQT remains humble and recognizes that ESG and stakeholder management is a complex area in a constantly evolving world.  There is so much more that can be done and we always strive at getting better, enhancing processes and making sure we support the EQT funds and our portfolio companies as much as we can. Receiving Pantheon’s award confirms that EQT is on the right path and also emphasizes the importance of working together, across the investment advisors, general partners and investors to give ESG the relevant attention,” concludes Jannik Kruse Petersen, Partner at investment advisor EQT Partners and head of the RI Working Group at EQT in EQT’s thank you speech at the Pantheon Annual Investor Meeting.

Read the EQT RI Policy.