Portfolio-wide Responsible Investment framework, embedded across the deal process.
A leading private equity firm approached NPA to develop a framework for the integration of ESG factors into their investment process. Following increased expectations around ESG integration in their investor due diligence questionnaires, the firm wanted to develop a tailored approach in tandem with NPA to ensure that ESG considerations were systematically incorporated alongside traditional financial factors to gain a more holistic understanding of the risk/return profile of their investments.
Additionally, with increasing market expectations, the PE firm wanted to formalize its implementation and approach, aligning with best practice for its specific investment strategies.
A four-step Responsible Investment framework and integration process developed by NPA for internal implementation
- 01
Exclusions
ObjectiveRefine and ensure compliance with the firm's exclusion criteria.
ImplementationNPA helped the client refine their exclusion list, deciding what should be excluded (e.g., controversial weapons, child labour, tobacco) and determining the thresholds for exclusion. We ensured the framework could document that no investments breached these criteria.
- 02
Current State of ESG
ObjectiveAssess the investee companies' awareness and management of ESG issues.
ImplementationAlongside the framework development, NPA conducted a current state assessment of the firm's investment strategy, evaluating ESG policies, senior oversight, and past materiality assessments. We performed a gap analysis to identify areas where the firm could improve ESG integration.
- 03
ESG Integration
ObjectiveIdentify and prioritize ESG issues that could impact financial performance.
ImplementationThe framework developed by NPA enabled the client to conduct a materiality analysis based on region, industry, and products, using the SASB Materiality Map. This helped prioritize ESG factors that could affect financial outcomes.
- 04
Post-Investment Monitoring
ObjectiveEstablish KPIs for ongoing ESG performance monitoring.
ImplementationAs part of the framework development and subsequent implementation support, NPA helped the client create KPIs, such as accident reporting and health and safety policies, to be tracked annually for consistent ESG performance monitoring.
NPA developed a bespoke due diligence and responsible investment framework that the firm integrated into its investment review process. This rigorous, repeatable process helped the firm identify previously undiscovered risks, generate more informed investor/stakeholder reports, and uncover new opportunities for value creation and alpha generation, while improving internal efficiency. NPA continues to support the framework's implementation, reviewing pre-investment DD, providing training, and assisting with annual data collection and reporting. This holistic approach has enhanced investment decisions and long-term stakeholder value.