Does RIAA provide support for completing a certification application?

The RIAA team provides answers to clarifying questions in the application process and outlines documents that may be necessary for your certification.  

On a case-by-case basis, a Responsible Investment Analyst may be assigned to conduct a preliminary review of the product during the application for certification.

To discuss the application, contact RIAA’s Membership and Engagement Team at info@responsibleinvestment.org.

Is the information provided in the certification application treated as confidential?

RIAA treats the data provided within the certification application and assessment process (including documentation) as confidential unless already publicly disclosed by the product provider. The Program recognises that certain information can be considered sensitive and has structures in place to uphold that confidentiality.

RIAA employees, volunteers, and IVP providers are bound by confidentiality agreements which cover all non-public information in the application as well as the information provided in the assessment process.

RIAA does not share product/ product provider specific data that has not been made public by the provider outside of the Program unless otherwise expressly authorised by the provider. Any assessment-related data that is reported externally is only displayed in aggregate with no personally identifiable indicators.

In the spirit of transparency, all certified products/services and advisers have a public-facing profile on our website which includes a high-level summary of their responsible investment practices.  

Does the RIAA Certification Program offer guidance for product providers to produce a Sustainability Report?

While not always directly relevant to assessments for certification, the Certification Program has analysed high quality Sustainability Reports distinct from Stewardship/ ESG/ Impact Reports. Some structural features of these reports include:  

• What are your goals and strategy?  

• Who are your stakeholders?  

• What is of key importance to your stakeholders?  

• What environmental and social issues impact how you do business (not just manage assets)?  

• Which risks are relevant to how you operate within the present, as well as the future context?  

• Where do you set your boundaries? E.g. do you consider your own operations as a firm, your investments, your supply chain, your clients?  

• Is there a guiding philosophy/framework that best reflects approach to sustainability?  

• What tools are appropriate? E.g. Balanced Scorecard, Ecological Footprint  

• What indicators should you use and why?  

• Is it worth considering verification/ assurance of your Sustainability Report?  

RIAA's Product Labelling Guidance Note can serve as a resource to ensure consistency between language used in the Sustainability Report and product-level disclosures.

Useful links:

• FR08/2021 Recommendations on Sustainability-Related Practices, Policies, Procedures and Disclosure in Asset Management (iosco.org)  

• Global Reporting Initiative