What is the Accord Initiative?

The Accord Initiative is a suite of compliance, education, CPD and Regulatory analysis services, all delivered via this free to access website.

The site incorporates everything financial advisers need to build ESG and Sustainability into their advice process and is designed to give advisers the confidence to deliver enhanced client outcomes. The underlying theme is increasing knowledge of ESG and Sustainability (as part of the full Spectrum of Capital) amongst financial advisers, compliance consultants and paraplanners, enabling advisers to give compliant advice in a way that delivers good client outcomes whilst meeting Consumer Duty, PROD, COBS and the Sustainable Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and sustainable investment labels.

 Why the Accord Initiative?

The Accord Initiative recognises first and foremost that processes within advice firms need to adapt to new regulatory challenges and the changing views, preferences and requirements of clients; gathering information on client preferences, improving education and ensuring processes are robust and fit for purpose.

By making full use of this site, advisers, compliance consultants and paraplanners will gain access to industry-leading thought leadership, compliance-friendly tools, documentation and process, all of which provide:

CONFIDENCE: this site provides a one-stop gateway; advisers, compliance/paraplanner support firms, product provider and fund managers can all be confident that advice is delivered in line with the Regulator’s crosscutting regime

CONSISTENCY: Suitable advice means consumers making informed financial choices, they understand the products/funds that are recommended to them and adviser can ensure that the advice process considers each consumer’s investment/mortgage preferences and objectives

EDUCATION: Product agnostic knowledge & education; increasing knowledge across the spectrum of capital, practical training and CPD on all aspects of advice concerning ESG & Sustainability and the Spectrum of Capital.

INTEGRATION: A unique position in the market between distributors, manufacturers and clients - highly valuable for enhanced market participation at this critical time for sustainable change

OVERSIGHT: The Accord Initiative benefits from an Advisory Group which aims to ensure that this site supports the industry with solutions to regulatory change, drivers for transparency and trust and delivery of education and robust compliance

Read our Executive Summary

We believe that this site provides a KEY ROLE within the Financial services industry in the transition to a more sustainable world; pressure is rising to be more purposeful and responsible in supporting the Government commitments to net zero. We fully recognise that not all clients want to build ESG/Sustainability into their financial planning, but for those who do, our tools give financial advisers everything they require to meet the needs of these clients and deliver good outcomes.