ESG leadership
We’re helping to shape a more sustainable global financial system.
Back in 2007, Pantheon became only the second global private equity firm to sign up to the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Since then we’ve been at the forefront of helping to raise ESG standards across the industry, contributing to the drafting of new guidelines, working papers and other enabling tools through our active roles on both the PRI’s Steering Committee and Private Equity Advisory Committee, which we joined for the maximum tenures in 2009 and 2017 respectively.
In 2008, a year after we joined the PRI, we established an internal ESG working group, which led to us successfully integrating the six Principles for Responsible Investment into our investment processes and implementing pioneering reporting to clients on all aspects of ESG.
As a result of these efforts, when the UNPRI began conducting annual assessments of its signatories in 2015, Pantheon was awarded an A+ grade – and we have maintained consistently high scores ever since. Most recently, in the 2020 assessment we were proud to be awarded A+ grades across the board in the “Strategy and Governance”, “Infrastructure” and “Private Equity” modules.
Further reading
Read Pantheon’s UN PRI Transparency Report
About the UNPRI
The PRI is an independent body, set up and supported by the UN, that aims to support the development of an “economically efficient, sustainable global financial system” that is “a necessity for long-term value creation”.
Principle 1
Principle 2
Principle 3
Principle 4
Principle 5
Principle 6
Incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.
Be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.
Seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.
Promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry.
Work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles.
We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles.
Thought leadership
Thought leadership
Pantheon has demonstrated thought leadership in the private equity community by significantly contributing to policies, guidelines, industry-level dialogues and best practice sharing related to ESG:
Set up the ESG committee within the Hong Kong Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, Asia’s largest industry association by membership, in 2015 and has been leading it since then
Created the first private equity ESG award in Asia, the ESG Award of Excellence, which has been running since 2017 and is awarded every two years to private equity-backed companies in recognition of outstanding ESG-related initiatives and achievements
Regularly contributes to guideline consultations with regulatory bodies around the world, to continue to contribute to evolving industry best practice
Regularly organizes ESG seminars at industry events – and Pantheon speakers speak regularly on ESG topics with media outlets and at industry conferences
Click on the icon to access the HKVCA ESG Award of Excellence
Click on the icon to access the HKVCA Climate change submission
Click on the button to find out more about our industry advocacy efforts across ESG and wider issues related to corporate social responsibility.