Financial advice firm Just Wealth - part of estate agent group Spicerhaart - is training its self-employed advisers in advising investors on ESG options as a boom in ESG investing gets under way.

The new initiative for its self-employed advisers is being run in conjunction with the Openwork Partnership, whose client portfolio manager is delivering the webinar for Just Wealth advisers. 

Just Wealth is the sister company of Just Mortgages which has more than 500 mortgage and protection advisers in the UK, one of the UK’s largest advisory networks of its kind.

The training covers the factors that go into determining a businesses’ ESG rating and how to talk to clients who are interested in sustainable investing. 

Just Wealth says the popularity of ESG funds has increased substantially in recent years. In the first half of 2021, of 80 exchange-traded funds and mutual fund launches in the UK, 37 were ESG vehicles, up from just 17 ESG launches in the whole of 2017, according to Refinitiv Lipper. 

The firm says interest is particularly high among younger generations, with a recent study by Prudential finding that 60% of millennials said the pandemic has increased their appetite for sustainable investments. 

David Magee, head of wealth at Just Wealth, said: “Investors are more interested than ever in ensuring their money is having a positive impact on the planet, so it is crucial our advisers can give knowledgeable guidance on the subject.

“By working with closely with Openwork’s exceptional investment managers, we can provide Just Wealth advisers with all the expertise they need to deliver ESG advice.”

Rohit Vaswani, client portfolio manager at the Openwork Partnership, said: “It is crucial that financial advisers are continually learning and keeping on top of the latest trends. ESG has moved beyond a niche topic that a select few investors are interested in and has become mainstream. 

“It has grown in importance to the stage now that the question is no longer whether a financial institution should take ESG factors into account, but rather when and how. Our training will ensure the Just Wealth team can deliver expert advice, and give them all the tools they need to advise on ethical investing.”

Just Wealth supports its advisers with ongoing training, compliance, mentoring and marketing advice, as well as providing them with leads. 

The leads are being shared from sister-firm Just Mortgages’ client database.  Just Mortgages has more than 40,000 clients and this generates a “vast number of opportunities for wealth advice,” the company says.