Newsletter update from SRI Services

I hope all is well with you! The recent explosion of interest in ESG & SRI has made things pretty busy so please forgive both the length of this email – and any possible omissions!

I will start with the rather important topic of thanking Fund EcoMarket’s sponsors.

Over recent months we have been absolutely delighted to welcome M&G, Kames, Janus Henderson, Foresight and WHEB on board.

Fund EcoMarket users may not be aware that we do not charge fund managers to add fund information to the fund tool – as we want it’s content to be as comprehensive (and ‘whole of market’) as possible.  We also do not approach charities or other similar entities for funding…  so in order for the tool to be free and open to all (and to keep doing things like ‘banging the drum’ in the media and responding to consultations) we rely on fund managers sharing our view that this area, and indeed our fund tool is important.

It is with this in mind that I extend my sincere gratitude to all Fund EcoMarket sponsors – our earlier supporters being Rathbones, Liontrust, Sarasin & Partners, Pictet, Unicorn, Triodos and Quilter Cheviot – without whom we would not have got to where we are today!

I would also like to thank you for reading this update – and for using Fund EcoMarket. We trust you find both useful.  We know the tool is ‘un-parallelled’ in terms of what it offers (and why!?) but continue to value suggestions – even if we can not always act on them immediately.

We also continue to welcome any help you can offer spreading the word about what we do – and if you have not done so already – please do sign up to our  LinkedIn group, joining our Find an Adviser page,  encourage  ‘relevant’ contacts to sign up to this newsletter  – and/or send a short testimonial  if  you are willing!

Either way, I hope you find the following information and links useful…

kind regards,

Julia
julia@sriServices.co.uk 
@JuliaDreblow

Recent activity links that may find of use include:

Writing or contributing to articles eg:

•  My ‘Making Some Noise’ my article in this month’s Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts magasine, (A ‘Good Money Week and beyond’ news roundup)
•  Citywire / New Model Adviser ‘The best ethical funds do more than – ESG’ article
• FT Adviser article ‘What ESG themes clients should consider’

On video:
‘In conversation with’ Professional Adviser editor Julian Marr, Frank Potaczek of Architas and Dennis Hall of Yellowtail advisers.  (A Professional Adviser video series sponsored by Architas):

• How do different investors view sustainable investing?  
• Does SRI mean compromising on performance?
• What types of investors invest in ESG?
• How to explain sustainable investing to clients
• What next for ESG investing?

Presenting/events:

•  Investment Week ESG & Sustainability conference (I was delighted to be their keynote speaker)
• RSMR conference in York
•  Triodos ‘Shaping future finance’ Good Money Week Bristol event
• BWB Compliance (event held last week – I was delighted to be on the speaker panel with the ever inspirational Bruce Davis of Abundance and Anna Laycock of the Finance Innovation Lab – discussing the FCA Climate Change consultation.

Contributing to report 
‘Recognising the Impact of our investments – A Popular Choice?‘ A white paper from recruitment consultants Acre (with contributions from a range of SRI experts including myself)

Other recommended reading & viewing:

• Eurosif 2018 SRI Study (with UK data supplied by UKSIF membership)
• IPCC report setting out 12 year time horizon for addressing climate change
• Al Gore video – at PRI in person 2018 

I am delighted to report that I have recently been appointed as a director of not-for-profit industry body UKSIF (again).  I am particularly looking forward to working them on the  upcoming FCA Climate Change and Green Finance discussion paper (and  beyond) and to helping shape their strategy going forward.

I am also happy to continue to be involved with the Transparency Taskforce (as appropriate and when time permits!) and honoured to have been invited to be part of their inaugural Advisory Board.

As you may be aware, there is a great deal  ‘bubbling under the surface’ in this area at the moment, including new funds, new products and new initiatives.

Amongst the most keenly awaited is the EU’s work on Taxonomies and Labels following  their recent Sustainable Finance Action Plan.  (These are areas Fund EcoMarket has largely focused on since our launch in 2011/2  – and regularly updated as this area is continually evolving and expanding…).

Our work is of course rather different to that of the EU – but complimentary I hope – and I look forward to seeing their final output.   When this arrives we will assess how relevant their work is to ‘UK retail’ and respond accordingly (both on Fund EcoMarket and probably with the BSI and others as appropriate) .

Evolving ‘SRI Styles’
We are continuing our review of Fund Eco Market’s ‘ESG’ & ‘Responsible Ownership‘ ‘SRI Styles’ – focusing on the way we handle company wide listings.  We recently changed our classification from ‘ESG Integration’ to’ ESG Plus’ as ESG integration is now so ubiquitous that it is no longer a clear point of differentiation in its own right.  This shift in effect means that the bar we set back in 2011 is now far too low – which is of course great news!

You can expect to see further changes in this area (and the linked fact find tool) alongside further improvements to the navigability and reporting functions on the site in the near future.

FCA Climate Change and Green Finance discussion Paper
An area I expect to spend a great deal of time on over the coming weeks is the FCA’s Climate Change discussion paper. I am delighted they have published the paper (and are also considering related areas such as fact finding).

I intend to contribute as fully as possible to this and plan to run a discussion session (format tbc)  on this early in the New Year – so please watch this space if this interests you!

With best wishes,

Julia