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
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

London at night

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
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A Spotlight on the United Nations Climate Change conference, COP26

July 22, 2021

This year, heads of state, climate experts and campaigners will meet at the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP26) to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change, but which developments are likely to be most important from the perspective of the financial services industry? And what does all this mean for firms in the future?

Article
  • ESG
  • Compliance
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CFA Institute Releases ESG Disclosure Standards for Investment Products

June 30, 2021

Following the release of the CFA Institute's Exposure Draft of ESG Disclosure Standards for Investment Products, we outline what the standards include, the related timelines, and what these changes mean for firms.

Compliance Alert
  • ESG
  • Performance
  • Compliance
  • GIPS Standards
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ACA Group joins United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment

June 15, 2021

Reinforcing our commitment to work towards implementing ESG considerations in the global investment processes and a more sustainable financial system, we have become a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

Press Release
  • ESG
  • Compliance
  • ACA News
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ESG Examinations in Full Swing, and Most Advisers are Candidates

June 03, 2021

Following the SEC’s 2021 Examination Priorities, ESG examinations are in full swing, and most advisers are candidates. In this compliance alert, we outline what the regulator expects and what your next steps should be - whether you have ESG strategies or not.

Compliance Alert
  • ESG
  • SEC
  • Compliance
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The Rise of Environmental Justice: The ESG Risk You May Be Missing

May 18, 2021

While environmental justice is rarely called out as an ESG topic, it sits squarely at the intersection of some of the most pressing ESG challenges that we face today

Article
  • ESG
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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.

Dani Williams

Dani Williams

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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News

96% of Firms Unprepared for the FCA’s New Prudential Regime

With less than six months to go until UK investment firms are subjected to a completely new prudential regime, a recent survey reveals that the industry is vastly underprepared. The data shows that just 4% of respondents are ready and capitalised for the FCA’s new Investment Firm Prudential Regime (IFPR) coming into effect in January 2022. Learn more about what this means for firms.

Waters Rankings 2021 Name ACA Group's ComplianceAlpha® Best Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Solution Provider

Our ComplianceAlpha® platform has been named Best Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Solution Provider in the Waters Rankings 2021.

ACA's Regulatory Reporting Monitoring & Assurance (ARRMA) service winner of the 2021 HFM European Technology Awards

Within a year of launching, ACA Group is delighted to announce that our ACA Regulatory Reporting Monitoring & Assurance (ARRMA) service has been selected as Best Regulatory Reporting Solution in the 2021 HFM European Technology Awards.

Upcoming events

Senior Management Obligations under the SM&CR - 11 August 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

Compliance Induction - 17 August 2021

Senior management in Financial Services firms have a responsibility to ensure their employees have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the Regulatory environment they are working in. This knowledge helps in emphasising the need for compliance with policies and procedures in order to protect the firm and the individual from failing to “do the right thing”.

Online Training
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