In today’s business landscape, it’s no longer sufficient for organisations to simply acknowledge global sustainability challenges like climate change, resource depletion and inequality — they’re expected to lead the way through them.

With the Sustainable Finance online short course from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), you’re one step closer to meeting new business needs. With topics covering the emerging regulatory landscape, disclosure standards, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in financial reporting, and impact investing, this online course offers you the tools and insights needed to develop financial strategies that create value for society and invest in a sustainable future.

Over eight weeks, you’ll learn about the pressures, trends and opportunities in the current financial system. You’ll also investigate the strategic business implications of social and environmental challenges and discover how best to plan for the future.

With expert guidance from CISL faculty and global experts, you’ll gain the skills to implement sustainable finance solutions in your own context, while improving your performance in your current role, understanding how to better meet regulatory needs, and bringing about positive, sustainable change to your organisation, clients and society.

This course will be relevant to anyone interested in harnessing sustainable finance initiatives to bring about positive change – both professionals currently working in the finance sector, such as financial service providers, financial advisors, sustainability consultants and fund managers, as well as those outside the industry seeking a more practical understanding of how sustainable finance can strategically drive long-term business returns (including managers, marketing specialists, investors and those who work with NGOs). Policymakers in the public sector will also benefit from this finance course, as will anyone with an interest in integrating environmental considerations into development planning and finance. Similarly, this course is ideal for those looking to understand how mindsets, the broader financial system and regulatory systems are evolving in response to social and environmental pressures, with a focus on how these changes can be both financially and environmentally beneficial.