Professional body the Personal Finance Society (PFS) has established a new panel of advisers, policy professionals and sustainable finance experts.
This is to improve advice standards and consumer outcomes around climate change and other sustainability challenges.
The PFS sustainable financial advice panel will help members to incorporate sustainability into the advice they provide to consumers.
The panel is comprised of 10 external experts, chaired by PFS chief executive Don MacIntyre and is coordinated by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Group.
The members of the panel are:
- Don MacIntyre (Chair), PFS
- Clémence Chatelain, CCLA
- Lee Coates OBE ESG Accord (Accord Initiative)
- Petra Deavall, St James Place
- Elly Dowding, ESG Accord (Accord Initiative)
- Julia Dreblow, SRI Services
- Sebastian Elwell, Switchfoot Wealth
- Rebecca Kowalski, Overstory Finance
- Nicole Sykes, Pro Bono Economics
- Alan Whittle, Director, Unburdened Solutions
- Alena Zbirenko, Hugh James
- Ian Simons, Content and Capabilities Director, CII
- Dr Matthew Connell, CII
The panel also includes Nicoletta Paraskeva, senior associate at FCA, in an observing capacity.
‘Vital role’
MacIntyre said: “Personal finance professionals have a vital role to play in making the urgent changes needed to meet the Paris Climate goals and the transition towards a sustainable economy.
“Our new panel will set standards for advisers as well as providing PFS members with the support, guidance and training that will enable them to give consumers consistent, high-quality advice on sustainable finance and related areas.”
Julia Dreblow, the founder of SRI Services, who has specialised in sustainable investment for over 25 years, added: “The alternative to delivering a sustainable future is seriously bleak, and progress to date has been painfully slow, so I am delighted to welcome, and be part of, this important initiative – which is very much ‘part of the solution’.
“Ensuring the financial advisory community and colleagues are well placed to understand sustainability risks and opportunities so that they can meet clients’ needs better is vital.”
