RobecoSAM ESG rating business acquired by S&P Global

On November 21, 2019, the New York-based financial information and analytics provider S&P Global announced its acquisition of the ESG (environmental, social and governance) benchmarking and ratings business from RobecoSAM for an undisclosed purchase price. RobecoSAM is a Switzerland-based investment company and an affiliate of Robeco group, a Dutch asset management group. The acquired assets include the widely followed SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) – an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices and one of the most advanced ESG scoring methodologies with 20 years of experience of analyzing sustainability's impact on a company's long-term value creation. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and expected to close in Q1 2020.

Lenz & Staehelin is advising RobecoSAM and Robeco group in this transaction.