Executive Certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Finance
Embark on your sustainability leadership and finance learning journey with 14% savings
Equip yourself with the strategic insight, leadership capability and financial acumen to turn sustainability ambition into measurable value creation with the Executive Certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Finance from Imperial Executive Education.
Why choose this multiprogramme learning journey?
Sustainability is no longer defined by commitments or reporting alone. Organisations face growing pressure to demonstrate measurable impact, align capital with purpose and apply a sustainability lens to decision-making.
The Executive Certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Finance equips you to lead confidently at this critical intersection of strategy, sustainability and value creation. This multiprogramme learning journey integrates two Imperial Executive Education programmes, combining sustainability leadership, organisational transformation and stakeholder governance with the tools and frameworks to identify and plan ESG-based investment opportunities.
Designed for senior professionals like you who are navigating complexity across business, finance and environmental, social and governance (ESG) agendas, the programme enables you to move beyond compliance and develop the leadership capability to embed sustainability into business models, investment decisions and long-term value creation. You will gain the tools to align purpose with performance, assess risk, discover opportunities across sustainability and finance and create roadmaps for credible, data-informed action. Upon successful completion of the programme, you will earn an associate alumni status.
Immersive session
Engage with Imperial College London faculty and sustainability experts, exploring the latest in climate strategy and responsible leadership.
Associate alumni benefits
Gain associate alumni status upon successful completion of the programme.
Certificate of completion
Earn three verified certificates from Imperial Executive Education recognising your achievement.
Live webinars
Participate in faculty-led live webinars throughout the programme.
Capstone project
Design a sustainability leadership strategy tailored to your organisation, aligning purpose, performance and impact.
Playbook activity
Build your knowledge and apply it to Southeast Asia as part of weekly playbook activities.
Case studies and industry examples
Examine comprehensive case studies on major brands to see how sustainability is embedded in strategy.
Peer learning
Collaborate with a diverse cohort to exchange insights and solve real organisational challenges.
Weekly office hours
Get personalised guidance and feedback from the learning facilitator during weekly office hours.
Continuous programme access
Access videos and learning materials for up to 12 months after the programme starts.
Self-study and reflection
Deepen your understanding through guided self-study and practical exercises for real-world application.
Cutting-edge content
Learn from Imperial’s leading research in sustainability, innovation and finance, combined with industry perspectives.
Weekly assignments
Apply your learnings to specific geographies by completing activities on sustainability reporting, impacts, guidelines and relationships.
Interactive activities
Exchange perspectives with cohort peers from around the world by engaging in with through polls and surveys.
Guest speaker videos and podcasts
Discover insights from two podcasts with industry guest speakers that introduce sustainable finance and nature-based finance and investment.
Networking opportunities
Engage with other professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and industries.
Key takeaways
Through the Executive Certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Finance, you will build leadership judgement across strategy and capital allocation, understanding how financial and investment choices can support long-term value and sustainability agendas.
The Sustainability Leadership programme will enable you to:
Analyse business impact maturity, the evolving sustainability landscape and regulatory frameworks to identify key risks and opportunities for corporate strategy
Design innovative, systems-based sustainability initiatives using industry tools, AI-driven sustainable development goals (SDG) analytics and circular supply chain strategies
Evaluate sustainability performance and claims through data, reporting standards and impact metrics to guide ethical, transparent decision-making
Lead sustainability-driven transformation by embedding SDG principles into corporate culture and managing cross-functional change
Formulate a comprehensive sustainability strategy aligning purpose, finance, operations and governance, and communicate it effectively to stakeholders
Assess mindset shifts towards sustainability before and after the programme to deepen self-awareness and leadership capacity
The Sustainable Finance and Investing programme will enable you to:
Evaluate the potential impact of sustainability trends and developments on financial performance while considering their positive contributions to society and the environment
Develop a comprehensive understanding of eligibility criteria for sustainable investment products in capital markets
Use resources to understand the changing regulatory and policy drivers in sustainable investment
Apply various sustainability scoring and assessment approaches to real-life case studies
Identify the key drivers of sustainable finance growth in emerging markets
What you will learn
Build the leadership judgement required to shape sustainability strategy, culture, governance and long-term value through an integrated, practical curriculum.
Module 1: Sustainability Leadership – What’s at Stake?
Module 2: Climate-Positive Strategy – Going Beyond Net Zero
Module 3: Business for Society – The Social Impact of Business
Module 4: Sustainable Leadership and Organisational Change
Module 5: Rethinking Strategy
Module 6: Systemic Innovation for Sustainability
Module 7: Systems Thinking and Supply Chains
Module 8: Sustainable Finance and SDG-Driven Decision-Making
Module 9: The Evolving Regulatory Landscape in Sustainability
Module 10: Stakeholder Governance
Module 11: Monetising Impact and AI for Sustainability
Module 12: Capstone – Building Your Sustainability Leadership Strategy
Gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainable finance markets, instruments, tools, regulation and investment strategies, with a focus on real-world application.
Module 1: Introduction to Sustainable Finance
Module 2: Sustainable Finance Policy and Regulation
Module 3: Sustainable Finance Markets and Instruments
Module 4: Nature-Based Finance and Investment
Module 5: Applications of Sustainable Finance (Regional Deep Dive: Southeast Asia)
Meet the faculty
Frank Brueck
Programme Director; Leadership Lab Lead, Leonardo Centre on Business for Society, Imperial College Business School
Maurizio Zollo
Professor of Strategy and Sustainability; Scientific Director, Leonardo Centre on Business for Society, Imperial College Business School
Livio Scalvini
Executive Director, Leonardo Centre on Business for Society, Imperial College Business School
Michael Wilkins
Executive Director and Professor of Practice, Imperial College Business School
Iva Koci
Teaching Fellow, Imperial College Business School
Anastasiya Ostrovnaya
Senior Teaching Fellow, Imperial College Business School
Pernille Holtedahl
Research Fellow, Imperial College Business School
Become an associate alumni
Take your partnership with Imperial Executive Education to the next level by becoming an Associate Alumnus. Complete the learning journey to claim your Associate Alumni status and join our active community. Visit the Associate Alumni page to find out more.
Certificates
Upon completion of the programme, you will receive three verified digital certificates from Imperial Executive Education. You will receive one certificate each for the Sustainability Leadership: Value-Creation Strategies for a Regenerative Future programme, the Sustainable Finance and Investing: Unlock Global Investment Strategies programme and the Executive Certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Finance.
Note: After the successful completion of each programme, your verified digital certificates will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the programme. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of Imperial Executive Education.
FAQs
How do I know if this programme is right for me?
After reviewing the information on the programme landing page, we recommend you submit the short form above to gain access to the programme brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions on whether this programme is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated programme adviser will follow up with you very shortly.
Are there any prerequisites for this programme?
Some programmes do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the programme landing page, as well as in the programme brochure. If you are uncertain about programme prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at learner.success@emeritus.org for assistance.
What are the requirements to earn a certificate?
This is a graded programme. You will be required to complete a combination of individual assignments, quizzes, and a final project. Each component carries a certain number of points and a cumulative score of 75% is required to pass and obtain your professional certificate.
Will I be guaranteed a job upon completion of the programme?
The primary objective of this programme is to give you the skills you need to be prepared for a job in this field. While eligible participants will receive career coaching and support and may receive introductions to our hiring partners, job placement is not guaranteed.
How much time will I be expected to devote to this programme?
Each programme includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the programme landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the programme brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.
How will I spend my time in this programme?
You will divide your learning time between viewing recorded coding demos, video lectures, contributing to class discussions, completing assignments, projects, and knowledge checks, and attending optional live sessions with industry experts and programme leaders.
How is the programme administered? Can the programme be accessed anytime?
The programme is accessed through the custom learning portal. This portal will give you access to all programme-related content such as video lectures, assignments, and discussions. Live office hours will be conducted using a webinar tool. The video lectures and assignments are accessible weekly throughout the programme. In the event you miss a live session, a recording will be made available.
Do I need to attend live sessions every week?
Faculty video lectures are recorded, allowing you to watch these on your own schedule. However, participation in optional live sessions and discussion boards is highly encouraged. Live sessions will give you the opportunity to draw on the coding experience of our industry-experienced course leaders to answer your questions and help reach your learning goals. The discussion boards are also an integral part of the learning experience, giving you and your peers the opportunity to learn together, along with guidance from the moderators.
Can I download the programme videos?
You can download video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. However, the video lectures are only available for streaming and require an internet connection.
How do I interact with other programme participants?
You can communicate with other participants through our learning platform. You will be able to form groups based on your interests and location. A direct messaging feature is also available through the platform.
What is it like to learn online with the learning collaborator, Emeritus?
More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programmes said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded. All the contents of the course would be made available to students at the commencement of the course. However, to ensure the programme delivers the desired learning outcomes the students may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the programme in a cohort-based manner the cost of which is already included in the overall course fee of the course. A dedicated programme support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues, or anything else that may affect your learning experience.
What are the requirements to earn the certificate?
Each programme includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enrol. This is referenced at the top of the programme landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the programme brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programmes are designed to fit into your working life. This programme is scored as a pass or no-pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programmes include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the programme brochure. Please contact us at learner.success@emeritus.org if you need further clarification on any specific programme requirements.
What type of certificate will I receive?
Upon successful completion of the programme, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools, or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter, resume, and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile. The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the programme, once grading is complete.
Can I get the hard copy of the certificate?
No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Do I receive alumni status after completing this programme?
No, there is no alumni status granted for this programme. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the programme brochure.
How long will I have access to the learning materials?
You will have access to the learning platform and all programme materials (videos excluded) for one full year following the programme start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.
What equipment is needed or the technical requirements for this programme?
To successfully complete this programme online, you must have access to a device meeting the minimum requirements, found here. In addition, Microsoft Office or similar product and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts in all programmes. Please check the learning platform on the first day of class.
Do I need to be online to access the programme content?
Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet and video content is not available for download. You can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. Video lectures must be streamed via the internet and webinars and small group sessions will require an internet connection.
What is the programme fee for the programme and what forms of payment do you accept?
The programme fee is shown at the top of this page.
Flexible payment options, group enrolment benefits and referral bonus are available.
Tuition assistance may be available for participants who qualify. Please contact your programme adviser to discuss.
What if I don’t have a credit card – is there another mode of payment accepted?
Yes, you can do the bank remittance via wire transfer. Please contact your programme adviser for more details.
Is there an option to make flexible payments for this programme?
Yes. Flexible payment options are available for this programme. We partner with loan partners to offer you flexible and transparent loan options. More information about loan financing is available here. Installment payments are also available—you can find the options here.
Does the programme fee include taxes? Are there any additional fees?
Yes, the programme fee is inclusive of any taxes with the exception of GST for Singapore residents.
Who will be collecting the payment for the programme?
Emeritus collects all programme payments, provides learner enrolment and programme support, and manages learning platform services.
Are there any restrictions on the types of funding that can be used to pay for the programme?
Programme fees for Emeritus programmes with Imperial Executive Education may not be paid for with (a) funds from the GI Bill, the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or similar types of military education funding benefits or (b) Title IV financial aid funds.
What is the programme refund and deferral policy?
For the programme refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or Schedule a call with one of our Programme Advisers or call us at +44 208 629 1765 (UK) / +1 315 509 2976 (US) / +65 3138 2451 (SG)
Flexible payment options available.
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