Wealth management giant Quilter is rolling out a series of responsible investment training modules to help advisers accommodate ESG considerations in their business.
The firm said that the modules will be in line with guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The first module – ‘understanding responsible and sustainable investment’ – is being rolled out now, while the remaining two, which include practical tools on how to incorporate ESG, will follow.
They will also count as structured CPD for advisers.
This news comes as Quilter is planning an expansion to its WealthSelect model portfolio service (MPS), where the company looks to triple the number of options available to advisers’ clients.
It will introduce 32 responsible and sustainable portfolios to the Quilter platform, with room to accommodate different levels of ESG according to customers’ preferred investment management style and risk profile.
The expanded range will launch in Spring 2022.
Getting ESG right
David Tiller, commercial and propositions director at Quilter, said: “Against the backdrop of growing consumer interest, there has been a proliferation of ESG-badged products in recent years, so it should be no surprise that the FCA has put it front and centre of its agenda.
“With this increased scrutiny, it is vital advisers get this right and embed ESG effectively into their processes. Rather than simply launch a new range of portfolios, we have thought long and hard about how ESG should be accommodated alongside other client requirements as part of a regulated advice process.
“I am proud that Quilter has chosen to do this the right way, working through the needs of advisers and clients before developing our solutions. Doing this has meant us committing to an unprecedented expansion of our flagship WealthSelect portfolio range.
“We have always prided ourselves on our commitment to invest responsibly and we are excited we will be able support advisers in more precisely matching their clients’ needs to suitable solutions both through this training and the new WealthSelect options coming soon.”
