Apex Group (Apex) has partnered with BlackRock’s eFront to give the general partner community access to its ESG data consulting services.
Clients will benefit from Apex’s understanding of complex ESG data, sourced through eFront. Apex provides ESG performance technology, guidance and resources for private markets participants, along with ESG rating, reporting and advisory services that will assist companies trying to mitigate risks and identify opportunities.
eFront’s Outreach solution offers a universal data collection framework to help private market investors to simplify and create ESG reporting standards. Through the collaboration, the companies aim to further ESG data standardisation attempts for private markets, they say.
The announcement follows Apex’s recent launch of the Apex Foundation. Introduced during the company’s Impact Month, which intends to improve the industry’s ESG accountability, the organisation will drive sustainable change by supporting grassroots initiatives, the company says.
Asset Servicing Times has learned that founder and CEO Peter Hughes has donated an amount in the region of half a million dollars to the new Apex Foundation.
Discussing its launch, Hughes says: “The aims of the Apex Foundation are aligned with my own priorities, and I look forward to working together to empower grassroots initiatives to safeguard the environment, accelerate women’s empowerment and economic independence, and improve social mobility.”
Commenting on the eFront partnership, he adds: “We are excited to be collaborating with eFront to bring holistic, end-to-end ESG data collection and analysis capabilities to the private markets. With Apex Group’s consulting services, general partners will have additional resources at their disposal to help meet their ESG reporting needs from collection through to reporting.”
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