It’s fascinating to see the passionate dialogue, confusion, and activity driven by the strong global demand for investment approaches that integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data. We know that’s a diplomatic mouthful, so here it is in all its boiled down glory: ESG growing pains are shaking up an already confusing marketplace.
The Industry
From our vantage point, we see great progress and an inflection point for sustainable investing. Rampant investor demand is driving a wild west proliferation of sustainable investing products that incorporate ESG. The picture is blurred by mixed messages, inconsistent terminology, evolving reporting standards, and sensationalist media headlines. It all adds up to an incredibly noisy situation that makes communicating about ESG a significant hurdle.
Financial advisors are caught in the middle. Some are embracing ESG, but due to the confusion they remain hesitant to raise options with clients. Some want to better learn and communicate about ESG, but don’t have a clear path. Those who are genuinely integrating ESG into their practices and have substantial marketing budgets can tackle the issue with broader initiatives (and help from Longview Strategies, shameless plug). But those with limited budgets don’t have access to strong materials that will help them tell the ESG story.
We encountered this conundrum enough times, and we said to ourselves, “Selves, we can do something here!”
So we did. Next month, we’re launching ESG Forward, a subscription platform that brings informed, clear content to advisors, helping them to better communicate about ESG and sustainable investing.
Platform Benefits
Our goal is to empower advisors by democratizing access to focused ESG content and education. ESG Forward provides position papers, blog posts, and infographics centered around relevant themes, from clarifying different ESG approaches to climate risk in portfolios to the pitfalls of greenwashing.
Subscribers can download materials, customize the content to fit their brand, and incorporate it into their marketing. The result? A better way to join or start an ESG conversation.
Education remains a key component – in all cases, it’s crucial for advisors to have their arms around the subject matter so they can communicate with confidence. ESG Forward tackles this as well, showcasing interviews with experts in the field and background on relevant sustainable investing themes.
We believe that ESG is an important part of the investment research process. For financial advisors, the confusion that surrounds its application creates an opportunity to isolate what matters most – acting as a trusted partner to guide their clients to better outcomes.
ESG Forward is designed to support and maintain that role. We know it can make a difference for financial advisors, and we’re excited to be part of the solution. If ESG Forward sounds like a fit for you, visit our website and sign up today. Soon enough, financial advisors will have the content and education they need to communicate about sustainable investing with more confidence.
