ESG Advisory Services

Gain clarity on your firm’s ESG requirements and build a strong compliance program with our dedicated ESG advisory practice.
Connect with our team to learn more
  1. Our Solutions
  2. ESG Advisory Services

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.

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Our solutions

We provide global compliance and sustainability expertise to review and develop ESG programs based on best practices, current regulatory requirements, and robust oversight processes. Our support covers the following areas:

Program Management
  • Policies & Procedures Development
  • Carbon Footprinting
  • Net-Zero Management
  • DEI Baselining and Training
  • Portfolio Performance Assessment
  • Reporting (UN PRI, TCFD, SFDR)
  • Marketing and Disclosures Review
Portfolio Oversight
  • Portfolio ESG Risk Monitoring – Private and Public Investors
  • Annual Portfolio Carbon Footprinting
  • Annual Portfolio Climate Risk Analysis
ESG Assurance
  • Portfolio Testing
  • Disclosure Verification
  • Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) – Report Readiness and Assurance
  • Annual ESG Compliance Review
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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.

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.

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

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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
esg ocean and rocks aerial view

What ESG Advisory offers

  • Program Management
  • Portfolio Company Implementation and Oversight
  • Transaction Due Diligence
  • Assurance
  • Enterprise Level ESG
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.

Watch now

Latest insights

Highways

ACA's Top 10 Webcasts of 2021

As 2021 winds down and we prepare for the new year, we thought we would take a moment to look back at our most popular webcast topics of 2021.

Article
  • Compliance
  • Performance
  • ESG
  • Cybersecurity
  • Regulatory Technology

Key Regulatory Timelines for 2022

To help firms prepare for the new year, we’ve created a simple visual timeline of key financial services regulatory milestones for you to download, keep, and reference throughout 2022.

Article
  • Compliance
  • ESG
  • Brexit
  • SEC
  • Managed Services
  • Trade & Transaction
wind turbines and solar panels at sunset

UNPRI’s Next Reporting Period Delayed Until Early 2023

The United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) recently announced a delay in the next PRI reporting period, along with the release of 2021 scores and public transparency reports. We outline what this means for firms.

Compliance Alert
  • ESG
  • Compliance
ESG trees 1200x900.jpeg

FCA Provides AFMs Guidance and Warning on Authorised ESG and Sustainable Investment Funds

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
2021 Spring Virtual Conference

ACA’s Spring 2021 Virtual Conference: Key Takeaways and Trends

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
Sea with ice

FCA Publishes Consultation on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure

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
More insights

Our leadership team

Dan Mistler

Dan Mistler

Partner

Dan is a Partner and senior practitioner heading the ESG advisory practice.

Crista DesRochers

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

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

Jessica Bonsall

Director, Environmental Lead

Jessica is a Director and the technical lead on all environmental work undertaken by the ESG team.

Peyun Kok

Peyun Kok

Director, Social Lead

Peyun Kok is a Director and the technical lead on all social work undertaken by the ESG team.

headshot of Julian Seelan, ACA

Julian Seelan

Director, Technology Lead

Julian Seelan is a Director and lead for technology services within the ESG Advisory practice.

Dani Williams

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.

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Upcoming events

Money Laundering Reporting Officer: The Role and Responsibilities - 2 February 2022

The role of the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) is a mandatory position in all firms in the Financial Services Industry. This reflects the statutory objective that the Regulator(s) have for ensuring that firms behave with “Integrity”, particularly relating to financial crime prevention. The MLRO therefore plays a significant role in assisting Senior management to ensure that systems and controls relating to anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the risk of terrorist financing (CTF) are appropriate and effective. This course provides practical advice and guidance on the responsibilities of the MLRO, what is expected by the Regulators, both of the Senior Management and the MLRO, and how those responsibilities can be achieved. It should be noted that attendance at this course does assume a good knowledge of the UK’s AML/CTF regulations.

Online Training

Annual Update - Senior Managers Obligations - 9 February 2022

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

Compliance Officer: The Roles and Responsibilities - 10 February 2022

The role of the Compliance Officer is a mandatory position in all firms in the Financial Services Industry. They play a major role in assisting Senior Management to ensure that appropriate and effective systems and controls are in place to achieve and maintain compliance with the applicable Rules. While the nature of the Compliance Function is likely to differ from one firm to another, this course provides an easy to follow breakdown of what the Regulator expects of a Compliance Officer and explains, in practical terms how the regulatory expectations and those of Senior Management can be achieved.

Online Training
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