The benefit of learning together with your friend is that you keep each other accountable and have meaningful discussions about what you're learning.
Courtlyn
Promotion and Events Specialist
6 weeks, online
4–6 hours per week
Our participants tell us that taking this programme together with their colleagues helps to share common language and accelerate impact.
We hope you find the same. Special pricing is available for groups.
The benefit of learning together with your friend is that you keep each other accountable and have meaningful discussions about what you're learning.
Courtlyn
Promotion and Events SpecialistGlobal investment in sustainability-oriented projects is once again poised for growth. Both the public and private sectors are locking in strategies to decarbonise, derisk against climate change and divest of dirty practices and suppliers. Sustainability is penetrating and influencing capital markets more than any other factor.
Emerging themes such as transition finance, adaptation and resilience, greenwashing, net zero portfolio alignment and nature-based investing are becoming increasingly mainstream in the finance community; yet, many of these concepts are not fully understood. The 6-week Sustainable Finance and Investing: Unlock Global Investment Strategies online programme from Imperial College Business School Executive Education offers investment professionals, asset managers and consultants a deep dive into sustainable finance principles and products. In this programme, expert faculty and guest speakers will help you build better strategies by understanding the challenges and opportunities facing this fast-growing segment, including in both mature and emerging markets.
Global sustainable bond issuance is likely to bounce back to approximately $950 billion in 2023.
ESG-mandated assets are on track to represent half of all professionally managed assets globally by 2024.
The rising crop of sustainable bond labels (social, sustainability, sustainability-linked and transition labels) had this combined lifetime volume as of September 2022.
This programme grounds investment professionals and asset managers in sustainable finance principles and delivers the tools and frameworks to identify and plan ESG-based investment opportunities, especially in emerging markets. Those who will benefit the most include:
Programme orientation
Meet the faculty and get an overview of the programme, including certificate requirements, the learning platform and support resources.
Learn about the origins of sustainability and how it has evolved to play a significant role in the world of business and investing. Explore different sustainable development goals and the responsibility of corporations in terms of environmental, social and economic impact.
Activity: Embark on a scavenger hunt, identifying news and current events that address the challenges facing sustainability as an investment theme.
Grasp the purpose, drivers and trends in sustainability reporting. Examine the actions and interventions that organisations can take to realise their sustainable development goals.
Activity: Create a sample sustainability report and disclosure statement, defining how asset managers may use that sustainability information.
Define the various financial instruments suitable for sustainable investing, including sustainability bonds, green bonds, social bonds and transition bonds. Understand the risks of greenwashing in financial investing and governance – and how to avoid them.
Activity: Analyse the ESG risks facing your organisation (inbound risks) and the impact your organisation has on the world at large (outbound risks).
Consider the ways in which nature affects the global economy and the interdependency of nature and global organisations. Identify financial instruments suitable for an organisation's nature investment goals, such as carbon credits, non-carbon credits, payments for ecosystem services and ownership with conservation easements.
Activity: Delve into nature biodiversity reports and the many ways the financial and private sectors can play a positive role in nature preservation and restoration.
Address the history, trends and challenges surrounding sustainability in an emerging market. Explore policy and regulatory frameworks for sustainable practices in the Southeast Asian financial markets.
Activity: Apply these principles to identify investment opportunities in an emerging market scenario and create a sustainable finance proposal.
Learn about the origins of sustainability and how it has evolved to play a significant role in the world of business and investing. Explore different sustainable development goals and the responsibility of corporations in terms of environmental, social and economic impact.
Activity: Embark on a scavenger hunt, identifying news and current events that address the challenges facing sustainability as an investment theme.
Consider the ways in which nature affects the global economy and the interdependency of nature and global organisations. Identify financial instruments suitable for an organisation's nature investment goals, such as carbon credits, non-carbon credits, payments for ecosystem services and ownership with conservation easements.
Activity: Delve into nature biodiversity reports and the many ways the financial and private sectors can play a positive role in nature preservation and restoration.
Grasp the purpose, drivers and trends in sustainability reporting. Examine the actions and interventions that organisations can take to realise their sustainable development goals.
Activity: Create a sample sustainability report and disclosure statement, defining how asset managers may use that sustainability information.
Address the history, trends and challenges surrounding sustainability in an emerging market. Explore policy and regulatory frameworks for sustainable practices in the Southeast Asian financial markets.
Activity: Apply these principles to identify investment opportunities in an emerging market scenario and create a sustainable finance proposal.
Define the various financial instruments suitable for sustainable investing, including sustainability bonds, green bonds, social bonds and transition bonds. Understand the risks of greenwashing in financial investing and governance – and how to avoid them.
Activity: Analyse the ESG risks facing your organisation (inbound risks) and the impact your organisation has on the world at large (outbound risks).
Examine how the Bank of England uses climate stress models to assess climate risks.
Discover how investing in nature can create opportunities for development via the World Bank’s example.
Explore sustainability reporting through the lens of the world’s largest non-alcoholic beverage organisation's latest sustainability report.
Video lectures
Live webinars
Interactive activities
Case studies
Networking opportunities
Weekly videos and podcasts with guest speakers
Continuous programme access
Dedicated programme support team
Weekly assignments
Michael Wilkins
Iva Koci
Anastasiya Ostrovnaya
Pernille Holtedahl
Michael Wilkins
Executive Director and Professor of Practice, Imperial College Business School
Michael Wilkins is Executive Director and Professor of Practice at the Centre for Climate Finance & Investment at the Business School. Until recently he was a Senior Research Fellow for Sustainable Finance at S&P Global Ratings and a Visiting Lecturer in sustainable finance at Cambridge University Judge Business School.
He is a senior sustainable finance professional with 28 years of experience in sustainable finance, corporate and infrastructure credit analysis, project finance, structured finance and carbon markets. He is a certified credit analyst (S&P/NYU), an executive MBA (Cass Business School) and holds a post-graduate certificate in carbon finance and analytics (London Business School). He holds a BA (Joint Hons) in Modern Languages from Bristol University.
Iva Koci
Teaching Fellow, Imperial College Business School
Iva Koci is a postdoctoral researcher specialising in sustainable finance. Her research investigates how institutional investors convey environmental and social preferences to their holding companies. She previously worked in business consultancy at Deloitte and is also affiliated with the Centre for Climate Finance & Investment at Imperial College.
Prior to her time at Imperial College, Koci completed her PhD at King’s College London where she has also led tutorials on Corporate Finance and Business Ethics. She has also worked as a fixed income researcher at an asset management firm and as a financial advisor.
Anastasiya Ostrovnaya
Senior Teaching Fellow, Imperial College Business School
Anastasiya Ostrovnaya is a Senior Research/Teaching Fellow at the Centre for Climate Finance & Investment, Imperial College Business School, where she researches the climate related risks faced by financial institutions and investors. She also teaches courses on Risk Management. Prior to joining Imperial College, Dr. Ostrovnaya worked for over 10 years as a credit trader at a global investment bank. She received her PhD in Finance from Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University.
Pernille Holtedahl
Research Fellow, Imperial College Business School
Pernille Holtedahl has over 25 years of international experience in climate finance and sustainable development. Her expertise lies in green finance, green bonds, investor trends and public-private financing of nature-based solutions, and conservation finance, how to monetise environmental benefits and increase private investment in conservation. Holtedahl holds a PhD in environmental economics from George Washington University and previously worked for leading consultancies and think tanks.
Director, Sustainable Finance, S&P Global Markets
Co-Founder and Former Managing Editor, Responsible Investor
VP, Climate & ESG Capital Markets, NatWest Markets
Director, Sustainable Finance, International Capital Market Association (ICMA)
Chief Product Officer, SparkChange
Investment Director, SLM Partners Ltd
Investment Associate, Climate Asset Management
Head of ESG Solutions APAC, SMBC Singapore
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will be awarded a verified digital certificate by Imperial College Business School Executive Education.
Please note that this programme contributes to earning Associate Alumni status. Visit the Associate Alumni page to find out more.
Download BrochureAt Imperial College Business School, we create people-centric learning experiences. From conception to delivery, we are guided by the principle that learning is a creative, personal and, above all, human process. Our high-quality, crafted learning environments are highly interactive, community oriented and actively tutored. Our programmes offer an engaging experience designed to facilitate natural learning behaviours.
RealWith no compromises, our online programmes offer the absolute equivalent of our campus-based programmes. They adopt the same rigorous academic standards, are delivered via our world-leading faculty and offer a comparable high-touch approach to the classroom experience.
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 about 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.
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 the ID mentioned above.
Note that, unless otherwise stated on the programme web page, all programmes are taught in English, and proficiency in English is required.
More than 50 per cent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience in terms of professional experience, industry and geography—leading to a very rich peer learning and networking experience.
Check back at this programme web page or email us to inquire if future programme dates or the timeline for future offerings have been confirmed yet.
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.
We have designed this programme to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent among a variety of activities, including:
The programme is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and to demonstrate an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on programme activities.
More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 per cent 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.
Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the programme. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.
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 email us if you need further clarification on any specific programme requirements.
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 or 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.
No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social networking platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
No, there is no alumni status granted for this programme. In some cases, there are credits that count towards a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the programme brochure.
You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and programme materials for 12 months following the programme start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.
Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files and transcripts.
Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access programme content from a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device.
Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any livestream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you can view them later.
Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the programme without missing any of the core programme material or learnings.
The programme fee is noted at the top of this programme web page and usually referenced in the programme brochure as well.
Yes, you can do the bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your programme adviser or email us for details.
Yes! Please email us with the details of the programme you are interested in, and we will assist you.
Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific programme you’re interested in enrolling in.
Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the programme fee in instalments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.
Please connect with us via email for assistance.
You may request a full refund within seven days of your payment or 14 days after the published start date of the programme, whichever comes later. If your enrolment had previously been deferred, you will not be entitled to a refund. Partial (or pro-rated) refunds are not offered. All withdrawal and refund requests should be sent to admissions@emeritus.org.
After the published start date of the programme, you have until the midpoint of the programme to request to defer to a future cohort of the same programme. A deferral request must be submitted along with a specified reason and explanation. Cohort changes may be made only once per enrolment and are subject to availability of other cohorts scheduled at our discretion. This will not be applicable for deferrals within the refund period, and the limit of one deferral per enrolment remains. All deferral requests should be sent to admissions@emeritus.org.
Flexible payment options available.