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Private equity, investors and M&A

Sustainability is now a core lever in investment performance, and the most forward-looking investors are embedding it across the full investment cycle.

Sustainability is now a core lever in investment performance

We are investors ourselves, who work daily with investments in our Article 9 impact venture fund and fully understand the link between commercial value creation, risk management and strategic sustainability. From the outset of The Footprint Firm, we’ve worked closely with private equity firms, institutional investors, and M&A advisors to integrate ESG and impact into investment decision-making, ownership, value creation and exit.

We partner with leading PE firms across the Nordics and Europe, at fund level, with portfolio companies, and in transactions on both the buy and sell side. Our work spans funds of all sizes and Article 6, 8, and 9 classifications, as well as specialised investors in infrastructure, energy, shipping, climate, and impact.

ESG due diligence

We conduct ESG and impact due diligences across all sectors, all company maturity levels and tailored to specific fund strategies across article 6, 8 and 9. Our approach is tailored to the specific requirements of each fund – whether assessing traditional businesses or high-impact targets.

We offer four levels of due diligence:

  1. Light ESG due diligence focused on risk and compliance
  2. Standard ESG due diligence covering risk, compliance, and potential value creation levers
  3. Full impact ESG due diligence including theory of change and value creation potential plan
  4. Combined commercial due diligence (CDD) and ESG due diligence on impact cases, including assessment of EU Taxonomy and article 9 alignment

Depending on scope, our analyses can include double materiality assessments, peer benchmarking, risk mapping across the value chain, regulatory driver analysis, and maturity and gap assessments. We also support development of theory of change, define impact KPIs, evaluate EU Taxonomy alignment, and identify value creation levers and potential exit narratives. Our due diligence work is never just a one-size-fits-all approach but always carefully scoped to drive the most value in the process: fit with your fund strategy, target size, maturity and sector, calibration of focus vis-a-vis other DD streams and applying our business acumen to all analyses.

Exit preparation and ESG vendor due diligence

We work with companies, investors, and M&A advisors to prepare for exits, ensuring ESG performance is clearly articulated, and value creation opportunities are well positioned. This includes pressure-testing ESG data and systems, assessing regulatory implications, benchmarking against peers, closing material gaps, and preparing management teams for sustainability-related positioning in exit processes.

Additional expertise areas include
  • Sustainability alignment under SFDR/EU Taxonomy
  • Training on ESG and sustainability topics for investment teams and portfolio companies
  • Development of fund sustainability strategy and frameworks, including reporting and impact KPIs

Our featured private equity services

Anna Søndergaardabout ?overlay=anna-sondergaard
Anna Søndergaard
Anna Søndergaard
Co-Founding Partner & CEO
aso@thefootprintfirm.com about mailto:aso@thefootprintfirm.com

“From fund strategies to due diligence, value creation under ownership to preparing for exit, we support investors in turning sustainability into a lever for better deals, stronger portfolios, and long-term competitive advantage.”

Explore our full range of services supporting every step of the sustainability journey

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Polaris

Sustainability strategy & ESG reporting benchmark in private equity

Polaris is a leading Nordic private equity firm investing in mid-sized companies across the region. As ESG expectations continue to rise in the investment landscape, Polaris partnered with The Footprint Firm to take their sustainability strategy to the next level and establish a structured, forward-looking approach to ESG reporting, culminating in the publication of their first annual Polaris sustainability report.

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Services

Industries

  • Private equity
The project

Polaris set out to define the next step in its ESG journey, both as a responsible investor and as a company. The objective was twofold: to develop a clear and actionable ESG strategy that could guide portfolio engagement, and to build a reporting framework aligned with leading international standards. We were brought in to support both aspects.

Our approach

We supported Polaris in expanding the ESG focus across two levels: the fund manager perspective and internal operations. This included identifying key sustainability priorities across funds, aligning with global best practice frameworks (SASB, GRI, TCFD, and the GHG Protocol), and strengthening integration of ESG into the investment process and active ownership model.
A key outcome was the development of the Polaris Sustainability Program - a structured framework designed to create value, build ESG capabilities, and drive sustainability performance across the portfolio.

We also supported the onboarding of portfolio companies to the program to ensure consistency, engagement, and long-term value creation across Polaris’ investments.

The impact

Our collaboration enabled Polaris to take a major step forward in formalising the fund’s sustainability approach, both in-house and across its portfolio.


With a clear strategy, an actionable ESG program, and a strong foundation for reporting, Polaris is now well-positioned for responsible ownership in the Nordic private equity space.