Lönsamt att ta ansvar? : En kvalitativ studie om Private Equity-bolagens arbete med hållbarhet

Sammanfattning: Background: Sustainability has become an increasingly important and current topic, where sustainable investments have increased tenfold in the last decade. PE accounts for an extensive amount of capital for Swedish companies, giving them great opportunities to impact the sustainable development of the Swedish economy. Aim: The aim of the study is to analyze the extent to which PE-firms are incorporating sustainability as part of their business, how they have been affected by the heightened awareness surrounding sustainable development and if they believe that it can create value in their portfolio companies. Method: In order to attain the aim of the study, a qualitative method was used. Semi-structured interviews were held with seven PE-firms and one interest association representing Sweden’s PE-sector. Conclusion: The results indicate that PE-firms specializing in LBO-investments, generally, incorporate sustainability as part of their business to a greater extent than VC-firms. Moreover, sustainability is almost exclusively considered in the pre-investment phase, also known as the screening-phase. The value retrieved from sustainable activities does not seem to have a direct connection to a monetary reward and should therefore rather be considered in terms of becoming more attractive as an employer and in the face of investors.