Strategic Focus: ESG And Sustainability Due Diligence For Investors

Executive Summary

Investors faced substantial challenges in 2023 – notably, global inflation, political instability and increased regulatory scrutiny – causing investments in many sectors to slow significantly, especially those in privately held entities. However, despite a more sluggish start than anticipated in the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) space in 2024, there is anticipation that the pace of deals will accelerate throughout the year – especially in the healthcare, manufacturing and technology sectors – thanks to declining interest rates, less rapid inflation, and growing corporate confidence in the market. At the same time, investors are placing an increasing emphasis on ESG and sustainability criteria during the investment process, including at the due diligence phase. This report provides investors with information about services and software that can help them incorporate ESG and sustainability due diligence into their existing due diligence processes and workstreams.