Certificate in ESG Investing
Curriculum
The curriculum for the ESG certification has been designed to give you a comprehensive understanding of ESG factors in finance. You’ll explore ESG investing at a high level, examining sustainability contexts and global initiatives. You’ll then drill down into how ESG can be integrated and managed in portfolio construction, and how to report back to clients on ESG factors.
What you'll learn
When you complete the certification of ESG investing, you will have gained knowledge in a variety of key areas. It's this breadth of your new expertise that will take your career to new heights.
Foundational knowledge
Understand the underlying issues that constitute factors within each of the environmental, social and governance areas, the broader sustainability context and global initiatives, and the ESG market today.
Approaches and application
Discover different approaches to responsible investment and how environmental, social and governance factors can be considered, then learn how to carry out ESG analysis, valuation and integration.
Reporting performance
Explore investment mandates, portfolio analytics and client reporting, and gain the ability to analyze how ESG factors may affect industry and company performance, and security valuation across a range of asset classes.
Curriculum topics
Excellence in ESG investing starts with a solid foundation of knowledge. The Certificate in ESG Investing syllabus covers a comprehensive range of topics, from the size and scope of the ESG market to the key principles that underpin ESG investing. With a theoretical and practical understanding of ESG factors in investing, you can apply your new skills to a variety of roles in your career.
Learn about the different approaches to responsible investment and the consideration of ESG factors. This topic also explores the ESG market; its relevance, size, scope, key drivers and challenges, and risks and opportunities.
Topic weight: 8-15%
Take a closer look at environmental factors, systemic relationships, material impacts, megatrends and approaches to environmental analysis at country, sector, and company levels.
Topic weight: 8-15%
Explore social factors, systemic relationships, material impacts and approaches to social analysis at country, sector and company levels.
Topic weight: 8-15%
Understand governance factors, their key characteristics, main models and material impacts.
Topic weight: 8-15%
Learn about the purpose of investor engagement and stewardship, why they are important, the main principles, and how to apply strategies and tactics.
Topic weight: 5-10%
Gain an understanding of how to integrate ESG factors into the investment process, as well as the challenges associated with that. You’ll also look at how ESG factors may affect industry and company performance, and security valuation across a range of asset classes.
Topic weight: 20-30%
Learn more about the application of ESG analysis across a range of asset classes and the different approaches for ESG integration into the portfolio management process
Topic weight: 10-20%
Discover why mandate construction is important for the effective delivery of ESG investing. You’ll also look at the most common features of ESG investing that asset owners and intermediaries want to identify.
Topic weight: 5-10%
Certificate in ESG Investing
- Certificate - 1 exam
- Foundational level
- 100 hours to complete
- Self-paced online learning
- Learning materials included
- 20 PL Credits (2 SER)
Frequently asked questions
After registering, you have six months to study the curriculum and complete the exam. We recommend studying 100+ hours before attempting the exam.
Prior knowledge of the investment process is helpful, but there are no prerequisites. This is a foundational certificate for anyone looking to improve their understanding of ESG issues.
The Certificate in ESG Investing builds foundational knowledge and a broad understanding of the issues across topics including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. The Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate is an advanced certificate for anyone who already has foundational knowledge and skills in financial statement analysis and valuation. It teaches practical application of climate-related factors to conduct analysis, valuation, and portfolio construction.
For more than 75 years, CFA Institute has provided investment practitioners with the knowledge they need to advance their career. Our certificates are renowned globally as the gold standard so you can be confident our curriculum will give you the skills you need to stay ahead.
The Certificate in ESG Investing provides holistic coverage of ESG Investing with a curriculum that is updated every year with the latest research and trends. Plus, with the self-paced format you can study on your own time and schedule the exam at a time that fits your schedule.
Explore Certificate in ESG Investing
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