ESG Accord has launched an initiative to help advisers meet the challenges presented to them by the Financial Conduct Authority’s Consumer Duty regulations.
The Accord Initiative is a suite of compliance, education, CPD and regulatory analysis services, all delivered to advisers via a free to access website.
The site incorporates everything financial advisers need to build ESG and sustainability into their advice process. It has been designed to give advisers the confidence to deliver enhanced client outcomes.
The aim of the scheme is to increase knowledge of ESG and Sustainability (as part of the full spectrum of capital) among financial advisers, compliance consultants and paraplanners
This should enable them to give compliant advice in a way that delivers good client outcomes whilst meeting Consumer Duty, PROD, COBS and the forthcoming Sustainable Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and investment labels.
The deadline for implementation of the Consumer Duty regulations is 31 July. They aim to set higher standards of consumer protection across all retail financial services.
ESG Accord co-founder and director Lee Coates said: “With Consumer Duty and new anti-greenwashing regulations now looming on the horizon, and with fund labels to follow, there is an urgency for both advisers and fund managers to prepare for the changes that are coming.”
In Conversation With… Lee Coates, Director, ESG Accord
Co-founder and director Elly Dowding added: “Financial services play a key role in the transition to a more sustainable world, which is why we are committed to supporting advisers help their clients make informed choices for investment preferences across the spectrum of capital part of every advised client’s financial advice journey.
“We aim to ensure the Accord Initiative delivers best practice compliance and advice solutions to support financial advisers, their clients and broader market participants”.
The Accord Initiative has gained support from investment houses including: London Institute of Banking and Finance, Brooks Macdonald, Rathbones, Fidelity, Aegon Asset Management, Aviva, M&G, Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, RBC Brewin Dolphin and Janus Henderson.
ESG Accord is a technical compliance firm specialising in investment preferences and objectives spanning across the full spectrum of capital.
It also provides consultancy services for advice firms, networks and fund managers, as well as training and proposition development for fund groups, DFMs and tax efficient vehicle providers.
And it offers deep-dive independent industry reports for climate, ESG and sustainability across MPS and tax efficient vehicles.
A multi-asset industry report is currently being developed.
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