ESG and sustainability in investment advice

Introduction to ESG and sustainable investments

• Importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), historical development and current trends in the ESG investment world.
• Growing relevance of sustainable investments for clients and regulations.

ESG regulatory requirements and framework conditions

• Overview of key EU regulations: EU Taxonomy and Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR, Articles 6, 8 and 9).
• Role and significance of Principle Adverse Impacts (PAI).

Sustainability risks in securities advisory services

• Identification and assessment of sustainability risks in investments.
• Impact of ESG risks on the long-term performance of financial instruments.
• Dealing with regulatory requirements on sustainability risks in customer advisory services.

Query options for sustainability preferences

• EU guidelines for determining the sustainability preferences of customers.
• Different approaches to eliciting preferences: standardized questionnaires and individual interview techniques.
• Consideration of customer preferences when selecting products.

ESG product categories and differences in the product landscape

• Overview of various ESG investment strategies such as the best-in-class approach, exclusion strategies and impact investing.
• Differences between taxonomy-compliant financial instruments, sustainable investments according to SFDR and conventional investments.

Practical advice tips for dealing with customers

• Raising awareness of customer needs and expectations in the ESG context.
• Recommendations for a convincing ESG argumentation in consulting.
• Tips for integrating ESG topics into ongoing customer communication.

Discussion and exchange of experience