Sustainalytics to buy Asian ESG research rival

Sustainalytics, the Amsterdam headquartered ESG research company is to acquire Singapore-based ESG rival Responsible Research in a deal expected to close by the end of May, Responsible-investor.com can reveal.
The transaction is subject to due diligence and regulatory approval. Responsible Research, which launched in 2009, focuses on Asian and emerging markets ESG information. The buy-out – terms of which have not been revealed – will expand Sustainalytics’ office base into Asia for the first time. The company, which is backed by shareholders including Triodos Bank, MeesPierson and PGGM, the Dutch pension fund giant, has more than 100 staff in regional offices in Boston, Frankfurt, Madrid, Paris, Timisoara and Toronto and representative agents in Brussels and Copenhagen.
Responsible Research was founded by Lucy Carmody, a former Asian equity research broker and CSR professional, now based out of London.Earlier this month, the firm won the 2012 Farsight Award for best investment analysis that integrates longer-term environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues for a report titled: “The Future of Fish.” The company also produces the Asian Sustainability Rating an annual review of the largest companies in Asia according to disclosure on key ESG metrics. Responsible Research has a team of eight analysts based in Singapore led by Benjamin McCarron, Head of Research, and a former Responsible Investment Analyst at the Co-Operative Asset Management in the UK where he led integration of environmental and social analysis in their investment and engagement processes. No further information was available on how the combined company would look in terms of staffing.
Sustainalytics is run by Michael Jantzi, Chief Executive Officer, who merged his own firm Jantzi Research with Sustainalytics
 in 2009.