Overview

This course consists of five modules on sustainability and ESG.

Module 1 focuses on sustainability and the related concept of sustainable development, which may be the most pressing challenge of our time. It provides a high-level overview of these concepts and their significance.

Module 2 describes net zero as the balance between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released into the atmosphere and those removed from it. It provides a high-level overview of net zero and strategies for achieving it.

Module 3 covers the two types of physical climate risk: acute and chronic. Acute risks stem from sudden, extreme events with immediate impacts, while chronic risks arise from long-term shifts in climate patterns. It provides a high-level overview of these risks and strategies for businesses to manage them.

Module 4 focuses on the transition to a greener, more sustainable future and the significant risks it poses to businesses and the economy. It provides a high-level overview of these transition risks and highlights the critical role of the financial sector in supporting the transition.

Module 5 explains greenwashing, a deceptive marketing practice where organizations falsely portray themselves or their products as environmentally friendly. It provides a high-level overview of greenwashing and how it occurs.

Objective

On completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Define sustainability
- Identify the three pillars, or dimensions, of sustainable development
- Recognize the sustainability challenges the financial sector faces
- List some financial products and services that are consistent with the principles of sustainable development
- List the aims of the Paris Agreement
- Explain how net zero can be achieved
- Recognize the ways in which the financial sector can drive the decarbonization of the real economy
- Identify the different types of physical climate risk
- Describe how the physical impacts of climate-related risks affect the economy and wider society
- Outline how physical climate risks can be managed
- Identify the different categories of transition risk
- Describe how the transition to a more sustainable future will impact businesses and the wider economy
- Outline how the financial sector can facilitate the transition to a greener future
- Define greenwashing
- Describe common greenwashing practices
- Recognize the consequences of greenwashing
- Identify how greenwashing can occur in the financial sector

Content

Module 1: Sustainability & Sustainable Development
Module 2: Net Zero
Module 3: Climate Change – Physical Risks
Module 4: Climate Change – Transition Risks
Module 5: Greenwashing