M&A activity and sustainability would appear to make for unlikely bedfellows, however, according to a new paper published by Deloitte – ‘how green is the deal’ (www.deloitte.com/us/howgreenisthedeal) more companies are placing an emphasis on, and paying a premium for, sustainability leadership.

When you think about it appears to make perfect sense, after all any firm that has largely ignored green trends and marginalised environmental concerns, is unlikely to be seen as an overly attractive proposition now, or in the future.

Rod Millott, partner, M&A Transaction Services, Deloitte & Touche LLP, said: "In today's economic and regulatory environment, companies that have strong corporate responsibility and sustainability programs in place will likely be rewarded for their ability to manage the risks and opportunities associated with corporate responsibility and sustainability."

Millott argues that, in some cases, sustainability can even make or break a deal, while his colleague Kathryn Pavlovsky, a leader of Deloitte’s Enterprise Sustainability group, claims that more and more companies on the look out for acquisitions will want to know whether they’re taking on sustainability risks or opportunities.

The findings may act as a wake-up call for many companies currently on the lookout for a buyer and, if they weren't aware before, they could soon find out that it pays to be green.