Understand the Risks, Discover the Opportunities
While climate change poses significant financial risks, transitioning towards a more sustainable, low carbon future is also creating new opportunities, including in sectors like renewable energy, green infrastructure, and green financial instruments. Climate-related risks and opportunities in climate investing are increasingly seen as material factors to be included in investment decision making.
The new Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate provides a practical approach to build the knowledge and skills you need to integrate climate considerations into valuation and portfolio construction processes. Develop the expertise to simplify complex climate concepts and facilitate effective communication with stakeholders and clients.
Hong Kong SAR Government Funding Scheme: The CFA Institute Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate is one of the Eligible Programs under the Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity Building Support Scheme (Program Identification Code: GTP-080240). Upon successful completion of the certificate, eligible applicants can apply for a subsidy of up to 80% of the exam registration fees, where full-time students can claim up to 100% reimbursement. Learn more about the scheme.
Structured to build knowledge
As a learner you complete assignments based on practical case studies, and conduct two peer reviews of each assignment, helping you to learn from a wider group of students. For the final assessment, you need to pass a multiple-choice test to earn a certificate and demonstrate your knowledge.
Learning approaches
The climate certificate is made up of five online courses of 20-25 hours each. It is available in two versions: a cohort and a self-paced version.
Cohort
- Connect with investment professionals from across the globe as you progress through the certificate together and share ideas in facilitated discussion forums.
- Follow a six-month schedule, with fixed start dates for each of the five courses, while having the flexibility to study at your own pace within each course.
- Increase motivation by learning as part of a cohort with a structured schedule that offers a clear timeline and a sense of community.
- Optional virtual events explore an issue in each course.
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Self-paced
- Study independently at your own pace throughout the five courses, with no set deadlines to follow.
- Enjoy maximum flexibility to fit your schedule and complete the certificate at your convenience.
- Access an online forum to ask questions and share ideas, even while studying alone.
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Why Earn a Certificate in Climate Investing?
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Learn from established practitioners to build the practical skills required in a growing number of investment decisions.
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Gain skills and resources to identify opportunities, improve valuations, and mitigate risks.
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Meet evolving demands and understand considerations that are increasingly an essential part of the industry.
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Learn from a curriculum that is built on the latest industry research and practice so you stay up to date in the evolving landscape of investing.
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Advance in your career by demonstrating your skills and commitment with a certificate from a trusted provider.
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In the cohort version, build your network and learn as part of a varied group of investment professionals from around the world.
Access Sample Lessons
Organizing Training For Corporate Teams?
What Skills Will You Be Able to Put Into Practice?
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Communicate and explain climate science concepts and climate risk adaptation and mitigation considerations for companies and investors.
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Analyze a company's transition plan, how these activities will be financed, and the risks and opportunities to the company and its investors
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Analyze a company's climate disclosure and risks (including physical risks using data from insurance providers).
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Integrate climate considerations and risks into a financial model and adjust projections and discount rates to revise a valuation.
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Analyze the financial projections of an investment project (private equity, venture capital, real estate, or infrastructure), including a range of scenarios, and adjust it by integrating climate factors.
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Analyze and adjust a portfolio so it is aligned with a net-zero pathway.
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Analyze a company's environmental resolution and provide a recommendation for conducting an engagement activity.
Explore the Role of Climate in Investing
Explore a world of research on the role of climate considerations in investing and regulation in articles and papers from the Research and Policy Center. Listen to leading practitioners in the industry discussing their views in The Sustainability Story series of podcasts.
The latest articles and podcasts include:
Article: Green Parity and the Decarbonization of Corporate Bond Portfolios
Article: Climate Change, Risk Management, and the Freedom to Invest Responsibly
Podcast: Spencer Glendon: The Role of Climate in Shaping the Future of Business
Webinars
9 & 10 September
How climate matters in investment decisions
Session 1: 10 September 12:00am HKT | 9 September 2024 5:00pm BST | 12:00pm EST
Session 2: 10 September 12:00pm HKT | 5:00am BST | 12:00am EST
| What are the prerequisites for the climate certificate? |
A foundational knowledge and skills in financial statement analysis and valuation are recommended. If you are less familiar with these concepts, you will find that the supporting reading material and the guided nature of the lessons will help you to get the most out of each course and to complete your assignments. Knowledge of advanced math is not required. |
| What experience do I need to study the climate certificate? |
A familiarity with foundational financial analysis and valuation is helpful - the certificate shows how to integrate climate considerations when applying these skills. People from other investment backgrounds can also benefit from the certificate. Review the learning outcomes to see what you will learn and if they are relevant to your career goals. |
| How does the climate certificate compare to the CFA UK Society's Certificate in Climate & Investing? | The Certificate in Climate & Investing from CFA Society UK is designed to provide all those working in the investment sector with the skills and knowledge to understand the risks and opportunities associated with climate. It sits alongside the Certificate in ESG Investing, providing more in-depth insight into climate. The CFA Institute Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate is an advanced certificate providing experienced investment professionals with practical skills, enabling them to integrate climate considerations into valuation and portfolio construction across asset classes. |
| How does the climate certificate compare to CFA Institute's Certificate in ESG Investing? | The Certificate in ESG Investing builds foundational knowledge and an understanding of the issues across sustainability topics, one of which is climate. The Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate is a more advanced certificate. It develops the knowledge and practical skills needed to apply climate-considerations into valuation and portfolio construction. |
| How does the climate certificate compare to CFA Institute's Climate Finance course? | The Climate Finance course introduces the economic and environmental impacts of climate change. It provides a foundational understanding of the role of finance professionals. The climate certificate is designed for analysts and portfolio managers. It develops the knowledge and practical skills needed to integrate climate considerations into valuation and portfolio construction processes. |
| How long is the climate certificate? | The climate certificate is made up of five courses and a final assessment. It takes approximately 100 hours to complete the certificate, so around 20 hours per course. In the cohort version, each course lasts four weeks with a buffer week, before the next course begins. You can see the dates for the next cohort here. |
| What equipment do you need? | The climate certificate is online. No specific equipment is required except a computer with internet access, with a common up-to-date internet browser, where you can view pdfs and watch videos. |
| What types of course materials are provided? | The study materials are viewable online and available to download as pdfs. Videos are available online with their transcripts, which can be downloaded. |
| How long can I access the course materials for? | You have access to the course materials and to the final assessment until 12 months after the start of your cohort. |
| How are you assessed? | Participants need to pass weekly quizzes, and complete an assignment and two peer reviews in each of the five courses. You need to pass and complete these items before you can take the final assessment. |
| How is the final assessment organized and what is the minimum passing score? | The final assessment is online and includes 60 multiple choice questions. The minimum passing score is 70%. The final assessment is not proctored. |
| What happens if you fail the final assessment? | If you fail the final assessment on the first attempt you have a second attempt available to take it again. You have access to the assessment until 12 months after your cohort started. If you fail a second time, you can retake the final assessment for an extra fee. |
| Do you receive a digital badge when you complete the certificate? | You receive a digital badge at the completion of the certificate. |
| Are the dates for the five courses fixed in the cohort version of the of the climate certificate? | Yes, the dates for the courses are fixed. If the dates are not convenient for your schedule, you can join a future cohort, where the timings work better for you. You can find the dates for the courses of the next cohort here. |
| What happens if I'm on holiday or can't study for a week? | Each course lasts four weeks with a fifth, buffer week before the next course begins. You can study the coursework at your own pace within that time. If you are unavailable to study for a short period, for instance a week, you should have time to complete the course within the allotted time. The peer review usually takes place in week four of each course. |
| Can you tell me more about the peer reviews? | You will need to complete an assignment as part of each course. For each course you will need to peer review the assignments of two other participants. We use peer-review software and a carefully designed rubric to ensure a fair review process. |
| Can you tell me more about the discussion forums? | Weekly discussion forums are available to enable you to engage with your fellow participants. The focus of each forum is the topic covered in that week's course materials. There are also forums for general questions and to discuss the peer review assignments. |
| What format do the live events take? | The live events are held as webinars presented by an expert on the course topic. A question and answer session forms part of the webinar, when you can ask questions of the presenter. The webinars are recorded. |
| Are there plans for more cohorts? | The next cohort is scheduled to start on 27 May 2024. The cohort after that will start in early September 2024. We don't yet have dates for when the first cohort in 2025 will be. |
Is this Climate Certificate Right for Me?
The Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate is an advanced certificate that builds on existing foundational investment knowledge. It is for investment professionals involved in analysis, valuation, and portfolio construction, and for those who need to understand the unique needs and challenges of these processes.
- It addresses the knowledge and skills required of investment decision makers.
- It is designed for a wide range of professionals including analysts, portfolio managers, relationship managers and people who aspire to be in these roles.
If you need to build foundational knowledge in sustainability before enrolling in the Climate Risk, Valuation, and Investing Certificate you can take the Certificate in ESG Investing.
If you want an introduction to climate change issues and their impacts on business and finance, you can take the Climate Finance course.