Global ESG Due Diligence+ Study 2024

Foreword

This is the first global KPMG study on ESG due diligence¹ in M&A transactions. It builds on our 2022 industry-leading international study on ESG due diligence in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMA) region that showed clear evidence of the rising importance of ESG due diligence in transactions, the practical challenges faced by deal practitioners, as well as first glances at "what good looks like."² In 2023, our follow-up study in the US found similar developments, albeit slightly less pronounced than in the EMA region.³

Since conducting the previous studies, the world has changed. In many geographies, M&A markets have decelerated in the face of higher interest rates. Geopolitical and economic uncertainty has increased, shifting the priorities of many businesses. And, in some geographies, there is a vivid public debate about the merits and justification of including ESG factors in investment decisions.