About this course
Global sustainability challenges – including climate change, natural resource depletion and rising inequality – are affecting the commercial environment in a way that presents both risks and opportunities across sectors. The Sustainable Finance online short course from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) gives you the tools needed to navigate these changes. Over the course of eight weeks, you’ll gain an understanding of how the current financial system works, the social and environmental pressures it faces and how it can be rewired to create better value for society and your organisation.
With expert guidance from CISL faculty, you’ll explore topics covering the emerging regulatory landscape, disclosure standards, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in financial reporting, and impact investing, enabling you to develop financial strategies that create value for society and invest in a sustainable future. You’ll also gain the skills to improve your performance as a finance professional by tapping into a new business area and meeting changing regulatory requirements. Unlock new perspectives on how businesses, banks and insurers are shifting investment towards more sustainable business models to lower risk and capture long-term growth opportunities. Walk away with tangible, real-world models that can deliver positive long-term returns for your business, clients and society.
What you’ll learn:
Over eight weeks, you’ll develop an understanding of the critical role that the financial system has to play in creating a sustainable global economy. First, you’ll gain an overview of how the current financial system works, the pressures and trends that affect it and the flow of capital. Then you’ll go on to explore strategies for sustainable finance, examine the relationship between risk and return, and learn about the key attributes underpinning successful sustainable finance initiatives. You’ll also investigate the role that the public sector has to play in sustainable finance, explore ESG integration in financial reporting, examine global megatrends and the innovations required to respond to them, identify emerging regulatory requirements, and develop a practical action plan to promote sustainable finance within your sphere of influence. Finally, you’ll walk away with an enhanced skill set of core competencies, including systems, strategic and long-term thinking, and the ability to address complexity across teams, organisations and the wider financial system.
