Certificate in Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Finance

Course Overview

The shift to ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) priorities at the European level (through the EU Green Deal) and at the global level (through the UN’s sustainability strategy) is a reality that directly affects the financial services industry through the promotion of sustainable or green finance.

As a result, having sound knowledge on environmental, social and governance factors is becoming key in successful business and investment management.  Today, fund managers are constantly monitored by investors and need to respond to a widening range of client ESG concerns. These concerns are driven by rising awareness of the dangers of climate change, natural resource depletion and economic sustainability that are all reflected in a rapidly evolving regulatory framework (at least for EU countries).

Human and social issues include better education, improved living standards and other issues broadly grouped under social responsibility or inequality. Industry wide ESG metrics, benchmarks and ratings as well as regulatory considerations have become part of the investment decision-making process.

The aim of the certificate is to develop understanding in what is meant by sustainable finance, products and services, and to help people play a leading role in developing a sustainable banking and financial services industry in line with ESG regulations.

Training Objectives

By the end of the programme, participants will able to:

• List the key climate-related and environmental threats  

• Name the key objectives of the EU’s Green Deal 

• Outline the major EU regulations for the financial sector and the corporate sector 

• Identify the key players involved in building a sustainable financial system 

• Describe the importance of adopting ESG and Sustainable Finance in the financial sector 

• Show how the investors can benefit from committing to the social purpose of a low-carbon world 

• Describe the various green banking and investment products  

• Identify the challenges of integrating ESG analysis into a firm’s investment process 

Training Outline

Introducing ESG – Towards a Green and Sustainable Economy 

 

Green Finance and Risk Management 

• Definition of “Sustainable/Green” finance and investment 
• The need for “Sustainable/Green” finance 
• The different types of climate-related risks and their impact on the finance sector. 

 

Green Banking 

• Funding the transition to a low-carbon world – a social purpose for banking and finance 
• Green Loan Principles 
• Examples and case studies of innovative green and sustainable banking products and services 

 

Green Bonds and Asset-Backed Securities, Equity Markets and Investment Funds, and Insurance 

• UN Principles for Responsible Investment 
• Categorization of investment products according to their ESG impact 
• Other EU initiatives 

 

ESG Analysis, Valuation, Integrated Portfolio Construction and Management 

• How ESG factors may affect industry and company performance and security valuation across a range of asset classes 
• Key challenges in measuring and reporting ESG- related investment performance 
• Development and construction of scoreboards to assess ESG factors 

 

Who Should Attend

This programme is ideal for:

• Directors of Investment Firms and Banks 

• Senior Management of Investment Firms and Banks 

• Investment Analysts 

• Wealth Management professionals 

• Financial Consultants 

• Product Development Officials 

• Financial Risk Analysts 

• Any professional seeking to improve their understanding of ESG issues. 

Industry Expert | Demetris Nicolaou, CFA

Demetris Nicolaou is Head of Business Development at Leon MFO Investments Ltd. Previously he was Executive Director and Head of Portfolio Management at Hanseatic Capital Management. He has also worked as the CFO of D. Nicolaou & Sons Ltd and at Alpha Bank Ltd as Head of Asset Management. He started his career in the USA at Emerging Markets Management as an Analyst and later Portfolio Manager. Demetris holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Economics and an MBA from the American University in Washington, DC. He is a CFA Charterholder and served on the board of CFA Society Cyprus as President. He holds CySEC’s Advanced Certificate and the Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors, UK. Demetris is a Certified Trainer by the Human Resource Development Authority (HRDA) with expertise in investment regulatory topics.

Training Style

The course is designed to deliver knowledge, by offering an overview of ESG and Sustainable Finance and of the related regulatory requirements.  In addition, it offers a more practical perspective that seeks to illustrate the challenges and prospects of sustainable and green finance.

The teaching methodology will be interactive, seeking to engage the participants and accordingly place emphasis on those aspects/issues discussed that are deemed to have the greatest value for the participants.  A short quiz will be offered at the end of the seminar.

Knowledge Test

The participant will be assessed on the material delivered by answering a set of multiple-choice questions. Achieving a success rate of 50% and above will allow the participant to successfully complete the Certificate.

The aim of the assessment is to examine participants’ overall attention and knowledge of material taught as well as their competencies towards the implementation of practical cases.

CPD Recognition

This programme may be approved for up to 5 CPD units in Financial Regulation. Eligibility criteria and CPD Units are verified directly by your association, regulator or other bodies which you hold membership.

For the CySEC requirements, CPD units attained from this course should not exceed the 50% of the total CPD Units of each individual.