A private equity Client needed a clearer view of how impact funds perform on ESG. We benchmarked public and private funds across themes such as biodiversity, climate and equality, and built a database to support investment decisions and peer comparison.
- Location
- U.S. and Europe
- Sector
- Private Equity
The Brief
The Client asked us to benchmark the ESG performance of public and private impact funds across themes including biodiversity, climate and equality. For each fund, we were to identify its listing status and underlying assets, and categorize it by the availability of ESG disclosure.
The brief also covered engaging with PitchBook and LSEG to assess data access, coverage and cost, and building a database to support informed investment decisions and peer benchmarking.
The Obstacle
Private funds often disclose incomplete ESG information, which limited how accurately their performance could be assessed.
The Client also needed more than a one-off assessment. They required a database that captured ESG performance and allowed each fund to be compared directly with its peers.
Our Approach
We mapped each fund by listing status, underlying assets and disclosure availability, building a clear picture of where reliable ESG data existed and where it fell short.
In parallel, we engaged with PitchBook and LSEG to assess what data each could provide, how complete its coverage was and what access would cost.
What We Delivered
Two tools that give the Client a consistent way to research, compare and select impact funds.
- Themes
- Biodiversity, climate, equality
- Funds
- Public and private impact funds
- Data providers
- PitchBook, LSEG
- A database covering ESG metrics and key decision-making variables, organized by theme, so funds can be assessed and compared on a like-for-like basis.
- Practical guidance on sourcing ESG data for privately listed funds, where disclosure is often incomplete.
Our Impact
The database enabled investors to evaluate how well funds align with their chosen ESG themes.
It has since become a practical tool for guiding future impact fund selection and investment strategy.