The UK Investment Firm Prudential Regime – Implementation and challenges of new rules
Join ACA and AIMA for a discussion of the upcoming UK Investment Firm Prudential Regime
Webcast
ESG Advisory Services
Gain clarity on your firm’s ESG requirements and build a strong compliance program with our dedicated ESG advisory practice.
Behind the increased demand for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing is a heightened regulatory focus and a greater need for transparency and standardization. The ESG landscape is evolving at a rapid pace and requires additional resources to meet investor and regulatory expectations.
Our dedicated advisory practice helps firms of all sizes develop and monitor ESG programs to mitigate risk, make informed choices, grow profitably and sustainably, and combat greenwashing in the process.
What is ESG?
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is a lens that can be applied to any form of investing to consider non-financial factors that are not traditionally reported to assess an investment’s overall worthiness.
In recent years, firms increasingly add ESG metrics to their investment processes to provide for more complete analyses and support better investment decision-making. Discussion of ESG activities is also being added to annual reports and, in some cases, being built into standalone ESG reports.
Environmental (E)
Covers themes that impact the Earth, both positively and negatively. Includes climate change, natural resources scarcity, pollution and waste, permitting, and environmental opportunities.
Governance (G)
Encompasses items relating to the firm’s leadership and board as well as the firm's implementation of ESG policies. Includes board composition, diversity of the board, ethical business practices, lobbying, political contributions, account and tax transparency, and relationships with the SEC and other regulatory bodies.
ESG by the numbers
According to the Morningstar Global Sustainable Fund Flows Report as of October 2020:
Global inflows into sustainable funds were up
14%
in the third quarter of 2020 to USD 80.5 billion
Assets in sustainable funds climbed 19% to
$1.2T
in 2020
The number of global sustainable funds launched in 3Q 2020 was
166
breaking the record of 159 launches in Q4 2018
Why work with us?
- Unmatched Expertise: Benefit from a trusted and experienced partner with in-depth knowledge of the market and regulations
- Comprehensive ESG Solution: Support across the spectrum of ESG program maturity in one comprehensive offering
- Stay Ahead of the Shifting Landscape: Balance demands from investors, regulators, and stakeholders while keeping up with constant changes in the ESG space
- Fee Transparency: Predictable fee model helps avoid scope creep – more fee transparency where others may have a daisy-chain of SOWs
On demand webcast
Environmental Justice – The Investment Risk You May Be Missing
President Biden has made environmental justice a focal point of his administration. Some of his first actions as president were to reorganize environmental justice councils within the federal government and charge them with ensuring all federal agencies adopt the all-of-government approach outlined in his executive order “to secure environmental justice and equitable economic opportunity.” More recently, his COVID-19 stimulus plan and proposed infrastructure plan include unprecedented investments to address historical racial inequities.
Join us as experts from our ESG advisory team explain what environmental justice is, why it warrants such a sweeping approach, how businesses can (or should) be involved, and why investors should care about it.
Latest insights
FCA Provides AFMs Guidance and Warning on Authorised ESG and Sustainable Investment Funds
September 06, 2021
The FCA's recently issued a warning to AFMs firms to improve the quality and clarity of ESG/sustainable investment fund applications, providing guiding principles help funds comply with existing requirements. We outline what this means for firms.
Compliance Alert
- ESG
- Compliance
ACA’s Spring 2021 Virtual Conference: Key Takeaways and Trends
August 31, 2021
ACA’s Spring 2021 Virtual Conference was an opportunity for the regulatory compliance, performance, and cybersecurity community to come together and discuss the many changes of the past year and what the future of GRC looks like moving forward.
Article
- Compliance
- ComplianceAlpha
- ESG
- GIPS Standards
- Regulatory Technology
- Cybersecurity
- Performance
- Privacy
FCA Publishes Consultation on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure
August 11, 2021
Ahead of COP26 in November 2021, the FCA has published consultation paper (CP 21/17) on the implementation of mandatory TCFD disclosures. For many firms, data gathering requirements start from 1 January. We outline the considerations for firms in scope.
Compliance Alert
- ESG
- Compliance
- FCA
Achieving Differentiated Support for Private Equity Firms
August 04, 2021
Fundraising and compliance challenges are expected to increase for private equity firms in the second half of 2021 into 2022. We speak with Private Equity Wire about why support that blends practical and regulatory advice is becoming critical.
Article
- Compliance
- ComplianceAlpha
- ESG
- Cybersecurity
- Regulatory Technology
- Mirabella
Finding Leverage - How Debt Investors are Tackling the Challenge of ESG
August 03, 2021
With an abundance of optimistic growth projections centered around credit markets, 2021 is predicted to be a banner year for portfolios weighted in private debt. But just how easy is it to incorporate ESG criteria into a private debt portfolio?
Article
- ESG
- Compliance
FCA Business Plan 2021/2: A New Era in Financial Services Regulation in the UK?
July 29, 2021
The FCA’s Business Plan for 2021/22 is now live, reflecting a major shift in policy objectives and a top to bottom review of the FCA’s own objectives and priorities. We outline the key changes and challenges identified, and what they mean for firms.
Compliance Alert
- Compliance
- ESG
- FCA
- Managed Services
- Brexit
- Mirabella
Our leadership team
Dan Mistler
Partner
Dan is a Partner and senior practitioner heading the ESG advisory practice.
Crista DesRochers
Partner
Crista is a Partner overseeing the ESG advisory practice and brings over 15 years of experience in investment performance consulting.
Alyssa Briggs
Managing Director of Client Development
Alyssa is a Managing Director of Client Development leading growth and client engagement for ACA’s ESG advisory practice.
Jessica Bonsall
Director, Environmental Lead
Jessica is a Director and the technical lead on all environmental work undertaken by the ESG team.
Peyun Kok
Director, Social Lead
Peyun Kok is a Director and the technical lead on all social work undertaken by the ESG team.
Julian Seelan
Director, Technology Lead
Julian Seelan is a Director and lead for technology services within the ESG Advisory practice.
Dani Williams
Senior Principal Consultant, Governance Lead
Dani is a Principal Consultant and the technical lead on all governance work undertaken by the ESG team.
News
ACA Group Acquires Catelas to Create Industry-first 360 Surveillance Offering
The acquisition of Catelas further enhances the holistic surveillance capabilities of ACA’s RegTech platform. Catelas’ patented technology automates the mapping of how people connect and form groups within a firm, isolates collusion risk, and detects high-risk behaviors.
ACA Group and the Investment Adviser Association Announce Strategic Partnership
ACA Group (ACA), a leading provider of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) advisory services and technology solutions, today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with the Investment Adviser Association (IAA), a leading organization dedicated to advancing the interests of investment advisers.
ACA Group Continues to Enhance Compliance Team with New Hires: Former CCOs, Examiners, and General Counsels
ACA has recently welcomed several new members to our investment adviser practice, all of whom bring years of experience and skills to the team. These additions help us accommodate the developing regulatory landscape and meet our client’s specific needs.
Upcoming events
Compliance is Easier Than You Think: Claiming Compliance with 2020 GIPS® Standards for Alternative Investment Managers
ACA recently released a white paper series that covers those details managers need to know to claim compliance with the 2020 Global Investment Performance Standards. Join ACA for a webcast discussion to review how to claim compliance.
Webcast
Senior Management Obligations under the SM&CR - 30 September 2021
The ever-increasing focus by the Regulators on the accountability of senior management, particularly when things go wrong, emphasises how important it is for individuals in senior positions to have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. This succinct course is designed to assist Senior Managers to have a full understanding of what they need to do to achieve compliance with the rules under the obligations created by the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR).
Online Training
Social (S)
Consists of people-related elements both within the firm and society as a whole. Includes labor issues, human rights, customer satisfaction, data protection and privacy, and diversity and inclusion.