The software firm surveyed over 100 industry participants including general partners and portfolio companies, with 43 based in the UK, another 43 in the EU and the final 14 in the US.
It found that 75% of the funds it considered were required to report on ESG and 40% of funds used ESG to differentiate themselves.
However, there was a lack of understanding around ESG reporting from a portfolio company level and a lack of resource from firms, this meant that firms can take up to 12 weeks to collect ESG data.
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While general partners bemoaned the extensive ESG questions they receive from limited partners, they acknowledged there is merit in having a common understanding on what ESG data is needed.
However, 20% of general partners that independently started measuring ESG in the last decade are struggling to align that methodology with industry standards.
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Heleen van Poecke, CEO of KEY ESG, saidthe study shows the "significant hurdles" the market faces.
"But it also indicates the relatively untapped potential of the significant impact private equity ownership can have once GPs know what to report on and start collecting granular data to manage towards improvement," she added. "Doing this, GPs will not only be better placed to meet ESG regulations and framework requirements as they evolve, but will also understand their portfolio companies better, improve their investment processes and ability to raise funds as well as make better investment decisions."