Understanding the FCA's sustainability disclosure requirements and investment labels

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The FCA have issued their consultation paper CP22/20 on their proposals for sustainability disclosure requirements (SDR) and investment leads.

This proposal intends to advance the FCA's strategic objectives to:

• make markets function well
• operational objectives to protect consumers and enhance market integrity
• increasing transparency on the sustainability profile of products and firms
• risk the harm arising from greenwashing

The aim of the proposed classification and labelling regime is to help consumers navigate the market for sustainable investment products, to distinguish between:

• products based on their sustainability characteristics, themes, and outcomes
• different types of sustainable investment product

Sustainable investment products are structured around or pursue sustainability related characteristics, themes, or outcomes, while providing a financial return to investors. Consumer demand for these products is growing rapidly.

The FCA's latest Financial Lives survey shows that 81% of adults surveyed would like the way their money is invested to do some good as well as provide a financial return.

Firms are responding to this demand, according to Investment Association (IA) the UK market for UK domiciled responsible investment funds grew 64% over 2021 to reach £79 billion, far outstripping the 11% growth in UK domiciled funds overall.

However, consumers must be able to trust sustainable investment products and reasonably expect these products to contribute to positive environmental or social outcomes.

Join us on 7 December with John Somerville, Louisa Chender and Lee Coates (OBE) who will be discussing the latest proposal and how it will affect the financial advice sector and how it links to consumer duty.

This event is ideal for:

Aimed at anyone working in financial services including:

• Financial advisers
• Paraplanners
• Learning and development
• Compliance managers
• Owners of business eg IFA's or paraplanners

Who will be speaking?
John Somerville, Head of Financial Services, The London Institute of Banking & Finance
Lee Coates OBE, Director, ESG Accord Ltd
Louisa Chender, Senior Associate ESG Policy and Advisory, The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

In 1989 Lee started a financial advice firm Ethical Investors. This firm dealt exclusively in ethical and responsible investment advice.

In 1998 Lee worked with colleagues from Ethical Investors to establish an independent ethical research company (Ethical Screening) and in 2010 he launched Australia's first animal-friendly Superannuation fund (Cruelty Free Super). In 2011 he was awarded an OBE for 'services to ethical business and finance'. In October 2020 he co-launched ESG Accord, an adviser support business assisting firms to implement robust compliance procedures to meet sustainability preference requirements.

Lee is currently part of the FCA's DLAG (Disclosures and Labels Advisory Group), and undertakes consulting work for fund management companies and DFMs on ESG and Sustainable Finance related issues.

Louisa is a Senior Associate in the FCA's ESG Policy and Advisory team where she focuses on sustainability-related disclosures. She is currently leading on the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and investment labels, having previously led on climate-related disclosure rules for asset managers and FCA-regulated asset owners. She also supports work with IOSCO on corporate reporting on sustainability. Prior to joining the FCA she was the Derivatives Editor at Global Investor Group (a Euromoney publication), and previously led a team of European language content editors at Thomson Reuters.