INFORMED ADVICE

Financial advisers who participate in National Ethical Investment Week must be able to offer informed advice on green and ethical investments. Informed advice should address the following:

• Fact finding: The adviser will give clients the opportunity to express their interest in green and ethical investment by asking them a suitable open question during the fact finding process. Examples of such questions are given in the UKSIF training course and in UKSIF Resources.
• Knowledge and understanding: The adviser will have sufficient knowledge and understanding of green and ethical investments to be able to advise the client or pass the client to an appropriate colleague. UKSIF believes that this knowledge and understanding may be obtained by undertaking the UKSIF training course or equivalent, followed by appropriate CPD such as that offered by the Ethical Investment Association. Advisers may also wish to use one of the range of tools available from service providers to assist them to select particular investments. Some of these tools are listed in the UKSIF training course.
• Access to suitable investments: The adviser will not be subject to constraints that prevent him/her from recommending green and ethical investments when these would otherwise be suitable. The factors affecting this might include the coverage of green and ethical investments on any approved products list and the conditions under which an adviser can recommend products not on such a list.