As Origen Ethical Futures’ Brand Ambassador, I recently attended UKSIF’s Spring Conference at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) brings together finance professionals to support more sustainable investment practices. With more than 300 members, including Origen, it plays an important role in shaping ethical finance in the UK. You can find out more about UKSIF and the work they do here.
At Origen Ethical Futures, we are keen to build our presence at events like this to advocate for our ethical clients and promote ethical thinking across the financial sector. I was therefore delighted to be invited to speak on a panel at this year’s conference.
The Opening Keynote
The opening keynote looked at how global political change is reshaping the UK’s position in the world. Dr Oliver Turner of the University of Edinburgh said the UK is facing a more uncertain environment, particularly in its relationships with the US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. His view was that the UK may need to strengthen ties with Europe while also paying closer attention to fast-growing markets in Asia-Pacific. For investors, the main message was clear: geopolitical change is likely to remain an important factor in long-term economic and market conditions.
Lessons and opportunities from the UK Sustainability Disclosure Requirements
A session on the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) focused on the progress made so far. The SDR are a set of rules regarding the labelling of financial products to make sure that they are accurately marketed and do not contain any misleading information. Their purpose is to ensure transparency and remove the risk of greenwashing from the financial sector.
The speakers, Carlota Esguevillas from EdenTree and Aidan McEvoy from the FCA, said that the rules have helped improve transparency and have built trust by making it clearer which investment products meet sustainability standards. The SDR labels are designed for UK-authorised open-ended funds, with around 160 products having already secured a label. However, there are still gaps, particularly in fixed income and in the overall number of labelled funds, whilst the labels do not currently apply to MPS portfolios or bespoke DFM arrangements. The discussion also highlighted the need for ongoing education so that advisers, portfolio managers and clients can better understand what the labels mean in practice.
Making energy systems fit for purpose
I took part in the session on energy systems alongside Matthew Clayton of Thrive Renewables. We explored how investment can support a cleaner and more resilient energy system. Whilst not a technical expert in the field, I was able to bring a sense of our clients’ enthusiasm for investing in renewables and supporting the industry. We agreed that while the current system is dependable, it still relies too heavily on high-emission sources.
We discussed the importance of clear communication with clients, realistic expectations around risk and the need to support not just renewable energy generation, but also infrastructure such as storage. A key takeaway was that the transition to renewables creates opportunities, but investors need to understand that progress may take time and will not always be straightforward.
Adaptation and Physical Climate Risk
The final discussion between James Alexander, CEO of UKSIF and Craig Leslie of Greenbank Investments focused on physical climate risk and why it matters for investors. This includes immediate risks such as floods and wildfires, as well as longer-term issues such as rising temperatures and sea levels. Craig stressed that investors need to think about both mitigation, which aims to reduce climate damage, and adaptation, which prepares for the effects that can no longer be avoided. The message for clients was that climate risk is becoming more relevant across many sectors, but with careful analysis and good communication it can be considered as part of a balanced long-term investment approach.
The conference reinforced a consistent message
Overall, sustainability, regulation, climate risk and geopolitical change are becoming increasingly important in investment decision-making. For clients, this does not mean reacting to every headline, but it does mean staying focused on long-term resilience, transparency and opportunity.
If you have any questions or concerns about any of your investments, please get in touch with your Origen Financial Adviser and they will be happy to help.
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