ESG: A quarter of progress

Already in 2024, our portfolio companies have made significant progress in embedding the principles of environmental, social and governance (ESG) into their strategies. Here is a snapshot of progress made this past quarter.

BCIS: Finding innovative solutions

Coventry-based costs and data provider BCIS launched a first-of-its-kind Cost and Carbon Materials Database, supporting the built environment sector to make better informed decisions for their budgets and the environment.

Fully compliant with the sector’s professional body RICS’ whole life carbon assessment standard, the database, housing costs, outlines of inflationary effects and detailed carbon credentials for more than 9,200 material resources under one roof, simplifies the process of assessing the monetary and environmental costs of using one material over another.

The built environment sector is responsible for 39% of global emissions. Through this database, BCIS is supporting the sector in making environmentally-conscious decisions to reduce its impact and reach the UK’s net zero goals by 2050.

Croud/Born Social: Supporting underrepresented communities

Croud’s Born Social recently launched its grassroots DE&I trainee scheme ‘Born Ready’for the second year. The scheme aims to support individuals from underrepresented communities looking for their big break in marketing and is designed to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where participants feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique talents and perspectives.

‘Born Ready’ is a key part of the Shrewsbury-based marketing agency’s diversity and inclusion offering – providing opportunities for individuals from under-represented backgrounds to enter and excel in the industry.

Global Autocare: Supporting the energy transition one vehicle at a time

Leeds-based corporate mobility and fleet management provider Global Autocare was the Official Vehicle Supplier for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow ’24 and supplied a sustainable vehicle fleet for the event that attracted more than 700 athletes and thousands of spectators to Glasgow’s Emirates Arena from 1-3 March.

This partnership with World Athletics, founded on the mutual goal of tackling climate change and improving air quality, allowed Global Autocare to showcase its focus on decarbonising UK vehicles by eliminating tailpipe emissions and transitioning to electric fleets for its corporate clients.

Beyond the portfolio

Alongside our support of ESG initiatives across the portfolio, we’ve continued to expand our ESG offering through technology and innovative solutions as well as provide continued support for charitable causes across the UK.

LDC has embedded Lloyds Banking Group’s Net Zero Technologies programme, developed in partnership with The University of Edinburgh, into our origination process. The programme identifies the biggest investment opportunities that support the Government’s net zero strategy, ensuring that we continue to invest in businesses that will help drive the UK’s journey to a more sustainable future.

We were also invited to pilot a new online platform, the Earthshot Prize Launchpad, led by the Prince of Wales among others, that provides investors access to a curated database of scalable environmental solutions. We’re one of more than 135 investors that have been invited to use this platform and we have already begun to incorporate this tool into our origination process.

LDC is also now a member of the iC International ‘Initiative Climat International (iCI)‘, a global, practitioner-led community of private markets investors that seek to better understand and reduce carbon emissions in their portfolio. Through industry-wide collaboration, we are continuing to champion climate change action in private markets by understanding and embedding emerging best practice into the way we operate.

Elsewhere, LDC was shortlisted in the ESG Champion of the Year – Mid-Cap category at Real Deals PE Awards 2024 and the firm’s London-based new business team volunteered at Kings Avenue Clapham School and Montem Primary School as part of the Greggs Foundation.