[GRTV] No escaping responsible investment

GRTV talks to Matthew Mimms, director The Investment Store, about why financial advisers have been slow to fully engage with responsible investment.

Thursday, June 8th 2023, 6:08AM

by Andrea Malcolm

Mimms, whose company provides marketing and distribution services for specialist investment managers, thinks advisers have a responsibility to look at responsible investment (RI).

He outlines the factors making RI more compelling than ever, including regulatory tightening, the breadth of products now available and consumer demand as shown in the latest consumer survey by Mindful Money and the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia.

Mimms also discusses RI in the context of adviser best practice, the implications of codes one, three and four of the Code of Professional Conduct, if they are explicit enough and whether an adviser asking a client about RI interests risks opening a ‘can of worms’ around that client’s values and expectations.

“Most solutions in New Zealand these days have a minimum responsible investment slant and for a lot of inventors that will be sufficient. And there are so many more solutions that satisfy most client demands in respect of you name it, could be water, renewable energy etc.”

Mimms also talks about what is available for financial advisers wanting to learn more about the subject, saying RI issues and themes are growing.

“There’s a tailwind driving not only finance and investment but more broadly what’s happening in the world today. You can’t escape it basically.”