FCA has published guiding principles on the design, delivery, and disclosure of ESG and sustainable investment funds.

By Nicola Higgs, David Berman, Paul Davies, Anne Mainwaring, and Charlotte Collins

On 19 July 2021, the FCA published a letter sent to chairs of authorised fund managers, which sets out the regulator’s expectations regarding disclosures by funds that make ESG-related claims. The FCA aims to ensure that any ESG-related claims are clear and not misleading, both when a fund is applying for authorisation and on an ongoing basis.

The FCA has published these principles in response to the significant increase in funds applying for authorisation that have an ESG or sustainability focus. The FCA notes that applications are often poor quality and fall below its expectations, and many make claims that cannot be substantiated. The FCA observes that, in general, fund applications in this area often do not contain sufficient, clear information explaining their chosen strategy and how this relates to the assets selected for the fund.