The programme takes approximately 6 months assuming 5-8 hours of self-study per week. It consists of 10 mandatory units, which build upon each other.

UNIT 1 : The World of Sustainability
This first unit sets the scene and introduces participants to the world of sustainability by explaining the key factors that underpin the science of climate change and global warming, including climate diplomacy. It also provides an overview of the different rationales for why integrating sustainability considerations into to financial market is important and discusses the role of the financial system in the transformation to a low-carbon and more sustainable economy.

UNIT 2 : Towards a Sustainable Financial System
The institutional setup is important for mainstreaming sustainability in the financial system. In Unit 2, participants are introduced to the role of the financial system, involved stakeholders, and their interplay, especially in the context of driving the transition towards a sustainable financial system. The specific roles of the different financial actors are explained, accompanied by practical exercises in an interactive learning environment.

UNIT 3 : The Role of Regulation and Policy
Unit 3 demonstrates and explains through detailed examples of the role and rationale of regulation and policy in sustainable finance. There is also a “deep dive”, a closer look, at the EU sustainable finance regulatory and policy landscape provided in this unit.

UNIT 4 : Sustainable Finance in the Financial Institution’s Strategy
The unit introduces the strategic implications of mainstreaming sustainable finance within institutions, continuing the structure introduced in previous units of looking at risk and impact management as well as the resulting opportunities from a strategic point of view.

UNIT 5 : Sustainability Risks and Impact Through Financing
Unit 5 discusses how to implement and manage sustainability risks and create impact through financing for financial actors. It will deepen the participants’ knowledge of the risk and impact perspectives. An overview of (main) sustainable finance risks that financial actors are facing will be provided, together with steps to be taken to identify, measure and mitigate them. Moreover, the importance of impact measurement and its methodological concepts are introduced in the unit.

UNIT 6 : Sustainable Finance Opportunities (Products)
Unit 6 provides an overview of sustainable finance related opportunities. It focuses on debt and equity-related sustainable products, especially green bonds, and is complemented by a section on additional services.

UNIT 7 : Banking
This unit provides an overview of the market environment, potential, development, and criticism for wholesale and investment, retail, and corporate banking products and services.

UNIT 8 : Institutional Investors
Unit 8 provides an overview of the institutional investors, their mandates as well as implementation methods. Furthermore, the unit discusses the role and construction of benchmarks.

UNIT 9 : Insurance
The role of insurance in mitigation of sustainability is discussed in unit 9. Participants will learn what role insurance plays within the wider financial system and build an understanding on how climate-related financial risks are impacting the finance sector.

UNIT 10 : Recap and Outlook
The course concludes with a re-cap of the learning materials from unit 1 to unit 9, while also making an outlook of ongoing and upcoming developments in the sustainable finance sector.