Jul 21, 2026 - Business

Carlyle in talks to exit Anthesis Group

Lucinda Shen

Illustration of a sweaty leaf sitting on a stool in the corner of a boxing ring. — Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

Carlyle is in talks to hand control of ESG consultancy Anthesis Group to its lender Bridgepoint Group, per Bloomberg.

Why it's the BFD: Companies have been retreating from environmental, social, and governance efforts, and it's trickling into dealmaking.

The term ESG is even falling off in corporate earnings calls.

Driving the news: Carlyle acquired a majority stake in the London-based company back in 2023 for about $538 million.

What they're saying: "The talks land amid a broader reckoning for environmental, social and governance consulting, which rode a wave of corporate net-zero pledges through the early 2020s but has since run into mounting political backlash." — Silas Brown, Bloomberg

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Carlyle in talks to exit Anthesis Group

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