April Tissier, Sustainability Director at Ardian, has spent the last decade at the forefront of integrating ESG across private markets. As the first full-time hire on Ardian’s sustainability team back in 2015, she now leads sustainability strategy for the firm’s secondaries, co-investments, and private credit platforms, while also spearheading its efforts in sustainability market intelligence.
In this interview, she explains how Ardian’s unique position as the world’s largest secondaries platform provides unparalleled insights into ESG practices, how data collection and interpretation has evolved since 2011, and why sustainability is first and foremost a business imperative.
From Pioneering ESG Data Collection to Secondaries Market Leadership
Ardian began systematically collecting ESG data from its GPs in 2011, long before sustainability became mainstream in private markets. What started as a modest questionnaire of around 20 questions has now expanded to over 80 data points on topics ranging from ESG quantitative targets, carbon accounting methodologies, diversity and inclusion policies, to biodiversity risks in infrastructure projects.
In 2025, 213 GPs—representing 96% of Ardian’s secondaries and primaries portfolio— participated in the firm’s annual campaign, making Ardian’s ESG dataset one of the most comprehensive in the industry.
But the key, Tissier stresses, is not just collecting data—making use of them. Ardian provides individual ESG and Climate scorecards and benchmarks to every GP, highlighting strengths and opportunities for improvement. Underperformers are offered one-on-one feedback sessions with Ardian’s experts, covering areas such as climate, regulation, and data analysis., and a webinar highlighting best practices and market trends is organized for all GPs in the portfolio
Sustainability as a Business Imperative
For Tissier, the real shift over the past years has been moving from ESG as a compliance exercise to ESG as a value creation lever.
“Nearly all of our GPs now integrate ESG into due diligence,” she explains, “but only a minority are systematically analyzing decarbonization pathways or treating sustainability as a driver of growth. Those that do are clearly ahead of the curve.”
She is quick to emphasize that sustainability is not simply about values—it is about long-term business resilience. “As private investors with long holding periods, we need to ensure that assets won’t become stranded in 10–15 years’ time. Framing sustainability from a business perspective makes it indisputable.”
Regional Differences and Regulatory Drivers
Across global markets, the pace and focus of ESG integration vary significantly, shaped by local regulations, investor expectations, and market maturity. Europe remains at the forefront of ESG data collection and regulatory advancement, with both EU-wide initiatives such as the SFDR and country-specific frameworks driving progress. Within Europe, there is notable diversity: the Nordics and the Netherlands are particularly focused on aligning investments with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while the DACH region is recognized for its rigorous regulatory compliance and early adoption of new standards. In other regions, such as MENA and Asia, there is a growing emphasis on embedding sustainability into investment processes, often driven by increasing LP scrutiny, as well as the influence of global initiatives like the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA).
Despite these regional differences, Ardian’s approach remains consistent: “We frame ESG not only as a risk mitigation lever but as a way to deliver on our fiduciary duty,” states Tissier. “It is a rapidly evolving landscape, but we have never changed our approach.”
What Best-in-Class Looks Like
When asked what defines best-in-class sustainability practice today, Tissier points to several elements:
1. Integrating sustainability as a systematic lever for value creation in due diligence and portfolio company business plans.
2. Quantifying the impact—measuring both the cost efficiency and value created by sustainability initiatives.
3. Capitalizing on data and market intelligence to better inform investment decisions, portfolio engagement and ultimately drive performance of the portfolio
“These practices ensure that sustainability is integrated in the core business strategy, not just as risk management,” she says.
Looking Ahead
As Ardian has a strong sustainability team (with 12 professionals across Paris and New York), to reflect on the diversity its investment activities. Tissier sees data, technology, and AI playing an even bigger role. The firm is already using AI to enhance qualitative ESG analysis and provide deeper insights to LPs, the investment teams and portfolio companies and GPs.
“Our goal is to ensure alignment across Ardian and to share actionable insights. Ultimately, it’s about raising the performance of the entire portfolio—and the industry as a whole.”
April Tissier will be speaking at the 0100 International in Milan, taking place October 27–29, where she will join the panel “How Has the Geo-economic Change Affected GPs’ ESG Practices?” alongside leading industry peers, including Noëlla de Bermingham, Chief Sustainability Officer at Andera Partners.