Sustainable Finance Foundations: Banking, Investment and Insurance

The finance sector is under increasing pressure to respond to the social and environmental challenges we face globally. Financial institutions looking to meet those challenges, and harness the opportunities of changing consumer trends, need to embed sustainability and resilience into their practices.

This online course supports finance professionals to develop a crucial foundational understanding of the risks of the global sustainability crisis and opportunities for a sustainable transition.

The learning is rooted in the latest sustainability thinking and can help learners to embed impact and sustainability risk mitigation
into their practice.

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Course content
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Learning experience
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Who the course is for?

This course is designed for individuals working across banking, investment and insurance who are looking to understand the risks of the global sustainability crisis and identify the opportunities for a sustainable transition in the finance sector.

It provides crucial foundational sustainability knowledge and supports professional development, decision-making and strategic planning for financial institutions seeking to embed impact and sustainability risk mitigation into their practice, today and in the long term.

  • Individuals looking to start their sustainable finance journey, refresh their understanding with the latest knowledge in sustainable finance practices, and who want to drive sustainability and deliver impact within their organisation and across the finance sector.
  • Organisations looking to upskill their staff by building a foundational understanding of sustainable finance practices in specific teams or across the business.
  • Financial institutions looking to transition to a sustainable economy.

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Course Format: 100% online, self-paced

Access: Flexible, 12-month licence, so you can re-visit the learning whenever you need it.

Price: £139 + VAT if applicable (discounts available for bulk purchases)

Learning time: 8-10 hours, start and progress at your convenience within 12-month period.

Assessment: In-learning quizzes, activities and submission of final assignment.

Award: Digital badge from University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Course content

This course supports professional and personal development, equipping you with an introductory understanding of essential finance sustainability themes, across 6 core modules:

  1. Global pressures and trends
  2. Commercial implications 
  3. Business leadership and action
  4. Good practice principles
  5. Sustainable finance in practice
  6. Taking action

Meet your subject matter expert

This online learning course has been created in collaboration with leading finance sustainability experts from across a range of finance institutions, regions and areas of expertise, led by a Course Convenor and lead Subject Matter Expert.

Financial institutions and everyone that they support are facing a whole host of environmental and social risks and opportunities.

Thomas Vergunst

Course Convenor and Subject Matter Expert, Sustainable Finance Foundations

What will I learn from the course?

Through 6 modules delivered by experts from industry and academia, this course enables you to:

  • Understand global pressures and trends, their commercial implications, and why business as usual is no longer viable.
  • Evaluate the role of business in society and explore what leading practice looks like within financial institutions and the future direction of travel.
  • Assess how financial institutions can support the transition to a more sustainable economy and compare their practical actions on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and sustainability.
  • Create a personal action plan to contribute to the necessary change in your organisation or sphere of influence.

Learning experience

You can complete the 8-10 hours of learning that make up the course in your own time, progressing through modules which contain videos, notes, case studies, quizzes and self-assessments. Benefits of the self-paced learning course includes: 

  1. Flexible learning throughout the year, with recommended reading and optional content available to supplement your learning.
  2. Access to course content for the full 12-months, allowing you to revisit the learning even once your course is complete. 
  3. Development of a Foundational Action Plan to determine the steps needed to contribute to change in your role and organisation.
  4. Award of a digital badge from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, upon successful completion of the course.

CPD certified

This course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 7 hours of learning.

Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is upon you. CISL and University of Cambridge Online accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.