PFS and CII launch ESG course for financial advisers

The Personal Finance Society (PFS) and Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) have launched a new Environmental Social Governance (ESG) short course for financial advisers seeking to respond to greater scrutiny from regulators and increased interest from clients about sustainable investments.

Rapid growth in the green finance market, shifts in cultural attitudes to sustainability, and legislative and regulatory changes – such as the FCA’s anti-greenwashing regulations – have fed demand for personal finance professionals who understand the fundamentals of sustainable investment.

The new ‘Spotlight: ESG and Sustainable Investment Advice’ course will help finance professionals to incorporate sustainable investment advice throughout their leadership and business practices. The course will also support advisers in their implementation of Consumer Duty, by helping to cater to the sustainable and ethical preferences of clients and therefore achieving good outcomes.

The course is written by sustainable finance experts Rebecca Kowalski and Alan Whittle, who have worked across advice, compliance, supervision and paraplanning. The learning covers areas such as sustainable portfolios, exploring client preferences, and how sustainable legislation and regulation can boost business.

Don MacIntyre, interim CEO of the PFS, said: “We are very pleased to announce the launch of the new Spotlight: ESG and Sustainable Investment Advice course. This is a brilliant opportunity for finance professionals to build their skills and knowledge, and gain valuable understanding of this important topic in order to best meet their clients’ needs.”