Sustainable Investing Certificate curriculum
The curriculum for the Sustainable Investing Certificate 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.
You’ll then drill down into how ESG factors can be integrated and managed in portfolio construction, investment analysis, and client reporting.
What Is Covered in the Sustainable Investing Certificate Curriculum?
When you complete the Sustainable Investing Certificate, 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.
You’ll learn about:
- Overview of ESG Investing and the ESG Market
- Environmental Factors
- Social Factors
- Governance Factors
- Engagement and Stewardship
- ESG Analysis, Valuation, and Integration
- ESG Integrated Portfolio Construction and Management
- Investment Mandates, Portfolio Analytics, and Client Reporting
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
Learn various approaches to responsible investment and ESG integration, including ESG analysis, valuation, and portfolio integration techniques.
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.
Sustainable Investing Certificate curriculum topics and weightings
Excellence in ESG investing starts with a solid foundation of knowledge. The Sustainable Investing Certificate 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, including; its relevance, size, scope, key drivers and challenges, as well as 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 mandated construction is important for the effective delivery of ESG investing. You’ll also look at the most common ESG investing features that asset owners and intermediaries want to identify.
Topic weight: 5-10%
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 Sustainable Investing Certificate 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 with foundational knowledge and skills in financial statement analysis and valuation. It teaches the 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 careers. Our certificates are globally recognized as the gold standard, so you can be confident our curriculum will equip you with the skills you need to stay ahead.
The Sustainable Investing Certificate provides holistic coverage of ESG Investing, featuring a curriculum that is updated every year with the latest research and trends. Plus, with the self-paced format, you can study at your own pace and schedule the exam at a time that suits.
This certificate prepares you for ESG-focused roles, including ESG Analyst, Sustainability Manager, ESG Specialist, ESG Product Manager, Head of ESG, and Chief Sustainability Officer.
Yes, the curriculum is reviewed and updated annually to reflect industry developments and evolving ESG standards.
Sustainable Investing Certificate
- Certificate - 1 exam
- Foundational level
- 100 hours to complete
- Self-paced online learning
- Learning materials included
- 20 PL Credits (2 SER)
Build sustainable investing capability across your organization
Contact us to learn how the Sustainable Investing Certificate can support your employees' ESG and investment decision-making.
