EQT endorses new SDG impact initiative
EQT is happy to announce its early involvement in the Sustainable Development Goals Impact initiative by taking a lead at today’s Nordic Springboard launch in Oslo in connection with the Business for
Peace Summit.
The UN-led initiative aims to provide private sector investors and businesses with the clarity, insights and tools required to support and authenticate their contribution toward achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). The SDG Impact initiative is designed to form a consistent approach to defining and measuring impact, something that has not existed previously. Achieving the SDGs, also referred to as the Global Goals, by 2030 is expected to require not only USD 5 to 7 trillion in total annual investments, but also a fundamental rethinking of global investment activity.
Christian Sinding, CEO and Managing Partner of EQT, commented, “Sustainability is, and has always been, a central part of EQT. Through our involvement in this new SDG Impact initiative, EQT will be able to influence the way that SDG-alignment is measured and develop our own impact approach further. For EQT, the initiative is particularly exciting, as we are taking a stronger position on climate change and thematic investing in solutions with positive societal impact."
EQT’s involvement as a leading influence on how this measurement system will be defined under the SDG Impact initiative fits with EQT’s focus on future-proofing companies and is a natural next step in the firm’s long history of responsible ownership. EQT was the first Nordic private equity firm to become a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Initiative in December 2010, and EQT has continuously focused on promoting sustainability within investing.
Therése Lennehag, Head of Sustainability at EQT, said, “Having a long-term, responsible and sustainable approach to investment and ownership is EQT's way of creating a positive impact and generating value for investors, portfolio companies and society at large. The SDGs are an integral part of the EQT ecosystem, and thematic investing based on a holistic, integrated approach to sustainability is a requirement for EQT to remain successful and be part of the solutions needed for the future.”
A prerequisite for the initiative’s success is that the broader ecosystem embraces it. For this reason, EQT has decided to join the SDG Impact initiative together with Nordic investment firm Summa Equity and LGT Group, the largest family-owned private banking and asset management group in Europe.
Read more about the SDG Impact initiative
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