SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mercatus, a leading asset and investment management platform, today announced it has become a signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
“We are thrilled to join the ranks of many of our customers and partners, like TPG, Foresight, and Quinbrook, in our commitment to ESG and responsible investment through our participation in the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI),” stated Haresh Patel, CEO of Mercatus. “At no time in history have ESG issues been more critical than they are today. We are committed to both incorporating these principles into our own business as well as helping our customers achieve greater ESG reporting and transparency across all their assets, funds, and portfolio companies.”
The PRI is internationally-recognized as a leading global network for investors who are committed to integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their investment decision making. Mercatus joins a network of over 2,200 signatories who have agreed to put into practice the PRI principles for responsible investing. The signatories collectively report over $80 trillion in assets under management.
“We are very pleased to welcome Mercatus to the PRI,” said CEO Fiona Reynolds, “and applaud their commitment to highlighting ESG metrics as part of the investment decision making process. We look forward to working with them in the coming months.”
ESG is increasingly at the forefront for many investors. From Mercatus’ perspective, these factors include:
1. The rapidly growing body of research that ties sustainability practices to positive financial impact. [In this publication, for example, 80% of reviewed studies demonstrate that prudent sustainability practices have a positive influence on investment performance.]
2. Consensus among investors that climate change is a global risk that has massive financial implications.
3. Social media’s growing influence on public relations risk and its direct financial impact on brand value. Investors are taking a lead to mitigate this potential risk with a growing focus on ESG.
4. The rise of millennials’ interest in ESG investing. Ongoing movement away from returns-based-only to one that includes an individual’s values as well. [Note this Morgan Stanley article on the millennial impact on sustainable investing.]
Mercatus helps alternative investors in energy, infrastructure, real estate, and private equity harness and connect data and financial models for faster, more accurate investment decisions and superior returns. With a DNA in systematic asset and investment data consolidation and analysis, the company is also helping customers develop and integrate KPIs, dashboards, and reports on non-traditional financial metrics like ESG.
“It is critical to tie financial and ESG metrics in a single system to help investors communicate directly to stakeholders the financial value creation of integrating ESG policy and metrics,” noted Patel. “This will offer our customers additional ways to increase long-term value of their portfolios and offer a competitive advantage when raising funds. Mercatus is further taking a lead in incorporating the recent Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. We believe being able to run and communicate climate impact scenarios and other forward-looking analysis will be a foundational requirement for both public and private investors.”
For more information about Mercatus, the Mercatus platform, our ESG capabilities or our partnership with PRI, visit www.gomercatus.com or email info@gomercatus.com.
About Mercatus
Mercatus is the leading provider of alternative asset and investment management solutions, helping investors maximize returns, accelerate growth, and mitigate risk. Mercatus is the only platform to systematically consolidate asset and portfolio data, automate and control financial analysis, and streamline decisions and collaboration across the entire investment lifecycle. Many of the largest global funds leverage Mercatus to manage over $450B of assets and investments across 113 countries and 11 asset classes. Mercatus is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Europe and India. For more information, visit www.gomercatus.com.
