December 06, 2022
The popularity of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments has been met recently with heightened public scrutiny as investors have begun to question the legitimacy, efficacy, and measurability of ESG. Whereas ESG is often positioned in the market as a strategy for driving better outcomes for people and planet, it is, in reality, a framework for evaluating how environmental, social, and governance factors can impact a company’s financial performance. The interpretation and application of ESG investing has varied across the industry in ways that have left ESG investors without clearly defined criteria around what constitutes an ESG investment or how that investment contributes to social and environmental outcomes.
How, then, should investors seek to invest in alignment with their values? At GEM, we believe that impact investing—when done well—can offer a more intentional and stakeholder-centered solution. Impact investing prioritizes outcomes on people and the planet alongside financial returns, and utilizes a rigorous and consistent measurement framework that provides investors with clarity and confidence around how their investments can deliver meaningful positive impact.
In Buyouts’ latest Emerging Managers Report, Caroline Dallas, a Director in GEM’s Investment Research Group, offers her perspective on the growing independent sponsor market and shares why, for dealmakers who are looking to branch out, now might be the right time to take the leap.
Kelly Barofsky, a Director in GEM’s Investment Research Group, joined Giovanni Amodeo at ION Analytics to discuss GEM’s approach to identifying opportunities in the lower mid-market, including the importance of sector specialization and manager-investor alignment.
Jay Ripley, Head of Investments, spoke with FundFire about the recent close of GEM’s inaugural independent sponsors fund and shared the importance of manager diligence in establishing long-term GP-LP relationships.
Let’s start a conversation about how we can help.
