Snehal Shah

LGPS Central, the £45bn partnership for eight UK public pension funds, is growing its responsible investment team from four to six and planning a ‘range of fund launches for this financial year across numerous asset classes’.

Asset manager M&G is in the market for a private credit impact director to join Catalyst, its £5bn private markets impact fund launched in February 2021.

Of GPs, 62% say they have declined an investment in the past year due to ESG factors, compared to 55% the year before, according to Investec’s survey of private equity managers.

Former Fried Frank associate Mary Beth Houlihan is the latest partner to join global private equity law firm Kirkland & Ellis’s ESG & Impact practice group.

The proposed amendment would see the public pension scheme ‘consider ESG factors’ in investments insofar as ESG affects risk and returns.

Limited partners – particularly in Europe – are asking for 'opt-out' options in side letters, finds placement agent Capstone in its survey of investors.

Private debt manager Oaktree’s newly announced head of ESG talks to New Private Markets about the firm’s strategy-specific ESG policies, the challenge of quantifying non-financial factors and its limited influence as a private debt investor.

PG Impact Investments, the impact investment firm founded by Partners Group’s founders, is rebranding to Blue Earth Capital and seeks to ‘reach operational independence from Partners Group’.

New VC manager Eka Ventures has raised £68m for its debut fund for UK start-ups in sustainability, healthcare and the inclusive economy. Eka’s founders say this is the ‘largest impact-driven early stage venture capital fund focused on the UK’.

The SFDR’s second phase – which will provide more detailed requirements for managers of ‘sustainable’ funds – will come into force on 1 July 2022.