List of Programs & Materials

Course Objective: This course provides an overview of responsible investment, covering both foundational concepts and practical techniques for analyzing ESG factors and integrating them into financial modelling and investment processes.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. The ability to define responsible investment and ESG issues, and identify key E, S, and G topics, standards, and stakeholders
2. Practical approaches for ESG analysis across different levels and contexts
3. An understanding of engagement models and policy design
4. Guidance on how to implement a company-wide responsible investment program
5. Skills to integrate ESG data into financial modelling and evaluate ESG performance

Why This Matters: Applying ESG analysis and data in investment processes enables informed decision-making and supports the integration of sustainability considerations across investment strategies.

Course Duration: ~15 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: This course introduces public and third sector professionals to the fundamentals of sustainable finance, focusing on how financial systems operate, how public policy influences investment, and how finance can be a tool for environmental and social impact.

Learners can expect to:

1. Understand the structure and purpose of the financial system, including key actors and instruments
2. Analyze how public policy shapes sustainable finance across jurisdictions
3. Assess evolving policies, regulations, and supervisory expectations
4. Evaluate the potential for finance to deliver positive environmental and social outcomes

Why This Matters: Public and third sector actors are key to advancing sustainable finance. This course equips them with the knowledge to engage effectively with the financial system and support impactful policy and investment decisions.

Course Duration: 10 weeks, with 20-25 hours of online learning and 3 live sessions

Course Objective: This masterclass introduces public sector and civil society professionals to the evolving field of nature finance, exploring its role in addressing biodiversity loss and the financial risks associated with nature degradation.

Learners can expect to:

1. Understand the financial and societal risks of nature loss
2. Explore the role of nature finance in promoting nature-positive outcomes
3. Identify key barriers to scaling nature finance, including policy, metrics, and capacity gaps
4. Build confidence to engage in policy dialogue and support effective financial solutions

Why This Matters: As the impacts of nature loss intensify, aligning financial flows with nature-positive outcomes is critical. This course helps public and civil society professionals understand the risks and opportunities at stake and contribute to more informed, effective nature finance strategies.

Course Duration: 4x sessions of 90 minutes, 26 August - 29 August 2025

Course Objective: This course provides an overview of sustainability and climate-related financial risks, with a focus on regulatory, strategic, and market-based considerations.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. Understanding of key concepts in sustainability and climate risk
2. Knowledge of regulatory initiatives and climate-related reporting requirements
3. Familiarity with green finance instruments, transition planning, climate and nature risk assessments and management
4. Exposure to case studies illustrating climate risk management practices across financial and non-financial sectors

Why This Matters: As climate-related risks increasingly influence financial markets and institutions, understanding how to assess and respond to these risks is essential. This knowledge supports better decision-making, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning.

Course Duration: GARP recommends 100-150 hours of preparation for the SCR Exam

Course Objective: This course provides an overview of the tools and insights needed for financial decision-making, with a focus on navigating technological advancements and forward-thinking solutions.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. Engagement with industry leaders, innovative thinkers, and a global network
2. Knowledge in sustainable finance decision-making
3. An understanding of how factors like Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital innovation, biodiversity crises and more require forward-thinking solutions

Why This Matters: In a world of constant change, the financial sector faces a complex and interconnected set of challenges. The need for leadership in inclusive and sustainable finance is urgent as we seek to navigate these turbulent times and drive meaningful, just and equitable change for all.

Course Duration: 1 week

Course Objective: This program equips participants with knowledge of the principles and concepts of sustainable finance, as well as an advanced understanding of the latest developments.

Learners can expect to:

1. Understand the core principles and evolving frameworks of sustainable finance and investment
2. Explore topics including ESG, climate and conservation finance, green bonds, disclosure, active ownership, impact investing, and taxonomies
3. Engage critically with the systems, tools, and policy frameworks shaping the sustainable finance landscape
4. Build networks to support leadership in finance, policy, or governance roles

Why This Matters: Sustainable finance is reshaping markets, regulation, and stakeholder demands. For executives, understanding these shifts is essential to managing risk, identifying strategic opportunities, and ensuring long-term value creation in an evolving financial landscape.

Course Duration: 5-day residential, 15-19 September 2025

Course Objective: This course offers an introduction to responsible investment, focusing on the materiality of ESG issues and building the foundational knowledge needed for effective communication with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. The ability to define responsible investment and distinguish it from related concepts
2. An understanding of the business case for responsible investment and the materiality of ESG issues
3. Improved ESG fluency through accurate and consistent use of key terms and concepts
4. The ability to identify ESG issues that may materially affect an investment case
5. Confidence in communicating scenario-specific ESG considerations with various stakeholders

Why This Matters: A strong grasp of responsible investment fundamentals supports more informed decision-making and enables meaningful ESG conversations across the investment value chain.

Course Duration: 1 hour

Course Objective: This course equips banking professionals and financial regulators with knowledge and tools to understand and manage climate-related risks and opportunities, with a focus on integrating climate risk into financial decision-making and reporting.

Learners can expect to:

1. Understand the science and impacts of climate change
2. Identify physical and transition climate risks and opportunities relevant to banking
3. Gain insight into key disclosure frameworks including TCFD and ISSB
4. Learn core climate risk assessment methods, scenario analysis, and stress testing
5. Explore policies, regulatory developments, and UNEP FI tools for climate risk integration

Why This Matters: As regulatory pressure and investor scrutiny increase, banks must understand and manage climate-related financial risks.

Course Duration: Various dates, 3 weeks with 2 hours of study per day, 5 days per week

Course Objective: This course provides training for financial professionals on identifying, assessing, and managing environmental and social (E&S) risks. Participants engage in interactive exercises, case studies, and real-world applications to strengthen risk procedures and embed E&S analysis into institutional practice.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

1. Recognize E&S risks linked to clients’ activities and operating environments
2. Evaluate, categorize, and manage E&S risks using structured tools and guidelines
3. Improve existing risk management procedures and institutionalize E&S analysis
4. Identify market opportunities and improve competitive advantage through risk-informed decision-making

Why This Matters: Financial institutions exposed to environmental and social risks face growing regulatory, reputational, and financial challenges. Managing these risks efficiently can help to address these challenges.

Course Duration: Various dates, 3 weeks with 2 hours of study per day, 5 days per week

Course Objective: This course introduces the importance of nature to the economy, the drivers behind its decline, and why nature loss matters to banks. It provides an overview of key frameworks to help banks assess nature-related risks and identify opportunities to support nature-positive outcomes.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. Foundational knowledge of the value of nature, biodiversity, natural capital, ecosystems and ecosystem services
2. Understanding of the decline in nature in recent decades and its impact on banks and society
3. Ability to describe key frameworks and initiatives that banks can use to assess their nature-related impacts and risks, and identify opportunities

Why This Matters: Nature loss poses material risks to the economy and financial system. Banks must understand their dependencies and impacts on nature to manage risk, meet emerging expectations, and support nature-positive outcomes.

Course Duration: 2-5 hours

Course Objective: This course aims to help executives develop an understanding of the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It encourages strategic, forward-thinking approaches to how banks can align their activities with sustainability goals and manage conflicts and risks.

Learners can expect to:

1. Analyze influences on banking actors, policies, and frameworks, including the PRB, in aligning finance with global goals
2. Evaluate how responsible banking can be integrated into corporate strategies and operations
3. Apply science and risk based approaches to assess responsible banking practices
4. Embed a culture of responsible banking

Why This Matters: Understanding how to align banking practices with global goals enables executives to contribute to long-term value creation, manage emerging risks, and support the transition.

Course Duration: 8-10 hours

Course Objective: This course provides an overview of sustainable finance taxonomies, their purpose, structure, and application, with practical case studies to support understanding.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of sustainable finance taxonomies and purpose, illustrated by real-world applications in the EU and China
2. An understanding of the key principles of taxonomy development and good practices
3. Knowledge of how international good practices, combined with national priorities, have been used in the development of taxonomies in South Africa and Colombia

Why This Matters: Sustainable finance taxonomies provide a structured approach to classifying economic activities in line with environmental goals. They are critical tools for guiding investment decisions, promoting transparency, and supporting alignment of finance with sustainability outcomes.

Course Duration: 3.5 - 4 hours

Course Objective: This two-part workshop series introduces participants to the foundational principles of Islamic finance and provides an overview of recent developments in the growing field of sustainable Islamic finance.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. Understanding of the history and core principles of Islamic finance
2. Insight into how Islamic financial principles are applied through ethical screening and product structuring
3. An overview of the conventional sustainable finance, Islamic finance, and sustainable Islamic finance sectors
4. Familiarity with relevant global initiatives and how the Islamic finance sector is engaging with them

Why This Matters: With growing interest in values-based and sustainability-aligned finance, understanding the intersection of Islamic finance and sustainability is increasingly important for financial professionals, particularly in markets where Sharia-compliant finance plays a significant role.

Course Duration: ~ 3 hours, self-paced.

Course Objective

This course introduces the integration of ESG considerations in real asset investments within private markets, focusing on how investors can identify, assess, and incorporate material ESG factors into decision-making.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of how responsible investment practices differ between public and private markets
2. The ability to identify and incorporate ESG risks and opportunities across the real assets investment lifecycle
3. Practical skills to apply an ESG lens to the selection, appointment, and oversight of external managers
4. Familiarity with key frameworks, standards, and initiatives linked to global best practices

Why This Matters: As ESG investing grows in real assets, integrating ESG factors across investment processes and manager oversight is essential to supporting sustainable outcomes and aligning with evolving global standards.

Course Duration: ~ 3 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: This course provides senior leaders with an overview of responsible investment practices, focusing on regulatory expectations, effective oversight, and the role of sustainable investment in supporting long-term capital stewardship.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. A foundational understanding of responsible investment
2. Insight into ESG issues and their implications for investment decision-making
3. Knowledge of how to exercise effective oversight in the context of sustainable investment strategies
4. Strategies for stakeholder engagement and navigating future sustainability-related uncertainties

Why This Matters: Equipping boards and trustees with the tools to oversee responsible investment helps create the governance mechanisms needed to support resilient and long-term sustainable investment strategies.

Course Duration: Self-paced

Course Objective: This course equips participants to lead En-ROADS climate simulation sessions using En-ROADS — an online tool designed to explore climate dynamics and assess the impact of cross-sector solutions to support informed decision-making.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. The ability to identify and explain the key dynamics driving the climate and energy system
2. Skills to facilitate impactful, science-based En-ROADS experiences for a range of audiences
3. Techniques to translate climate science into actionable insights that support strategy and engage hearts and minds toward climate action

Why This Matters: Facilitating informed, interactive discussions using climate simulations can support broader understanding of climate solutions and contribute to more effective climate-related decision-making across sectors.

Course Duration: One month, 4-6 hours per week

Course Objective: This webinar series introduces the foundational concepts needed to understand and integrate biodiversity into financial institution strategies, operations, and risk management.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An overview of biodiversity-related risks and how to communicate them internally
2. The ability to identify risks, impacts, and opportunities, and set biodiversity strategies and targets
3. Knowledge of how to manage biodiversity risks and enhance positive impacts at the project level
4. Insight into monitoring, reporting, and knowledge-sharing tools

Why This Matters: As biodiversity grows in importance for financial decision-making, this course helps professionals incorporate nature-related risks and opportunities into institutional planning and action.

Course Duration: 5-6 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: This training helps capital market participants implement the IFRS S1 and S2 Sustainability Disclosure Standards and build capacity for their consistent, global use.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards and their core principles
2. Practical guidance to prepare, implement, and communicate sustainability-related information
3. Skills to identify material sustainability and climate issues, integrate them into strategy and governance, and measure progress and resilience

Why This Matters: As sustainability disclosure becomes an essential part of financial reporting, this training supports credible, comparable reporting and helps investors and institutions make informed decisions.

Course Duration: 4-5 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: The course helps investment practitioners develop a keen awareness of ESG factors and an understanding of when, where and how ESG information can be used to add value in the investment decision making process.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of ESG factors, their materiality, analysis, integration, and how to apply them into financial models
2. Understanding of the many uses of sustainability data
3. Skills to evaluate how a company’s fair value is impacted when adjusted to ESG performance
4. Skills to recognize business impacts of emerging regulations and standards linked to sustainability goals

Why This Matters: Equipping investment practitioners with an understanding of the value of ESG information in the investment decision making process will help increase financial flows for climate-positive investments.

Course Duration: Estimated to take 10 hours, self-paced.

Course Objective: Building on foundational knowledge within our introductory course, this course aims to help banks apply a nature-responsible approach to banking, reducing negative impacts on nature and moving towards positive contributions.

Learners can expect to:

1. Identify how a bank’s financing activities impact nature and assess high-impact sectors in a loan portfolio
2. Recognize nature-related dependencies, risks, and opportunities within the portfolio
3. Set nature-related targets aligned with PRB guidance
4. Develop strategies to mitigate risks, enhance opportunities, and disclose relevant information to stakeholders

Why This Matters: Nature loss threatens economic and financial stability, with natural capital declining by 40% in two decades. This course helps banks understand their role in addressing these risks and supports more responsible financing to halt and reverse nature loss.

Course Duration: 12-15 hours

Course Objective: This course explores the relationship between banking and climate change, set within the context of the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB).

Learners can expect to:

1. Know how to explain climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and the urgency of addressing these challenges
2. Understand the reciprocal impacts between climate change, society, and banking
3. Describe the purpose of the PRB as a framework for maximizing positive impact and reducing negative impact
4. Identify challenges banks face in promoting positive climate and nature outcomes, and how these can be addressed
5. Understand actions banks can take internally and through client engagement to help tackle climate change

Why This Matters: Banks are both exposed to and contributors to climate risk. Recognizing this dual role is essential for strengthening institutional resilience and reducing potential economic losses linked to climate change.

Course Duration: 10-15 hours

Course Objective: This course provides a foundation in the Capitals Approach, helping business professionals understand and begin integrating natural, social, and human capital into business decision-making, based on the Natural Capital Protocol and the Social and Human Capital Protocols.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of natural, social, and human capital, and their relevance to business risks and opportunities
2. Insight into the business case for integrating a capitals approach into decision-making
3. Practical guidance on how to scope, measure, and value natural capital impacts and dependencies
4. Access to real-world business examples and best practices for implementing a capitals assessment

Why This Matters: Recognizing and accounting for natural, social, and human capital enables businesses to better manage risks, identify opportunities, and meet emerging requirements from investors and regulators around sustainability performance.

Course Duration: ~ 20 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: This course introduces the concept of sustainability in banking, the role of banks in society, and the factors influencing bank governance. It demonstrates how the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) provide a framework to align banking practices with the UN SDGs and the Paris Agreement.

Learners can expect to:

1. Understand the concept of sustainability and key environmental and social issues relevant to banking
2. Explain the role of banks in society and how their functions and governance support or impact sustainability goals
3. Recognize how banking activities relate to the UN SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and ESG considerations
4. Understand the Principles for Responsible Banking and how banks and individuals can apply them in practice

Why This Matters: Understanding responsible banking helps professionals align their work with global sustainability goals and respond to evolving expectations from regulators and clients.

Course Duration: 10-15 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: The course is designed to help investment professionals understand the growing relevance of nature-related issues to investment analysis, valuation, and decision-making.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of the critical role of biodiversity in sustaining economies, discover how nature-related risks and opportunities are material to investment outcomes, and insight into key policy developments and emerging frameworks
2. Equips learners to interpret and act on their organization’s nature and biodiversity commitments, supporting the integration of nature-related considerations into investment processes and stewardship activities

Why This Matters: Equipping investment professionals with an understanding of the value and opportunity of natured-related investments will help increase financial flows for these.

Course Duration: ~ 2 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: This course provides an introduction to the application of ESG principles in private equity and private debt investments, focusing on how investors can identify, assess, and integrate material ESG factors into decision-making.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of how responsible investment practices differ between public and private markets
2. The ability to identify, assess, and incorporate ESG risks and opportunities in the private markets investment lifecycle
3. Practical skills for applying an ESG lens to the selection, appointment, and oversight of external managers
4. Familiarity with industry frameworks, standards, and initiatives, and their application

Why This Matters: As ESG investing expands in private markets, integrating ESG considerations across investment decisions and manager relationships is essential for aligning capital with long-term value creation, stakeholder expectations, and evolving standards.

Course Duration: ~3 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: This series of short e-learning videos supports IDFC members and public development banks in accurately tracking and reporting green finance using the IDFC/MDB Common Principles, which underpin the Green Finance Mapping (GFM) initiative.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of the Common Principles for tracking mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity finance
2. Access to tracking tools and decision trees to streamline reporting process across sectors
3. Familiarity with general and sector-specific guidance to improve consistency and transparency

Why This Matters: Using a common, transparent tracking framework improves data quality, supports institutional alignment with GFM, and enhances the impact of green finance strategies.

Course Duration: ~ 45 minutes, self-paced

Course Objective: This course introduces the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and aims to equip banking professionals with the knowledge and tools to support clients in transitioning to sustainable practices aligned with the UN SDGs and the Paris Agreement.

Learners can expect to:

1. Explain climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and the urgency of addressing these challenges
2. Understand the role of banking professionals in supporting clients’ sustainability transitions
3. Describe the purpose of the PRB as a framework for maximizing positive impact and reducing negative impact
4. Apply a dialogue-based approach to build trust and engage clients on sustainability
5. Use models and tools to recommend and implement sustainable banking solutions in client relationships

Why this matters: By engaging clients on sustainability, banking professionals can build stronger relationships, support positive impact, and align finance with environmental and social goals.

Course Duration: 6 -7 hours

Course objective: The Master of Science (MS) in Climate Finance is a 39-credit professional degree offered by the Columbia Climate School in collaboration with Columbia Business School. The interdisciplinary course integrates climate science with financial management to equip students with decision-making skills to respond to climate change.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. Knowledge of climate science, including adaptation and mitigation strategies
2. Understanding of capital markets, corporate finance, energy and infrastructure financing as well as legal and regulatory frameworks
3. Exposure to leading finance and industry practitioners
4. The opportunity to study in New York, a global financial hub

Why This Matters: The program addresses growing demand across financial industries and public institutions for professionals who can assess climate risks and opportunities and mobilize capital for climate solutions.

Course duration: 1 year

Course Objective: This webinar series aims to build expertise on greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and green finance instruments. It supports IDFC members to deepen their understanding of climate risks, and better identify climate-related investment opportunities.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. Knowledge of the triple planetary crisis and global trends affecting the financial sector
2. Understanding of GHG accounting methodologies, tools, and standards
3. Skills in data collection, carbon inventory drafting, and mitigation planning
4. Understanding of green and biodiversity finance instruments, including blended finance and debt-for-nature swaps
5. Exposure to peer experiences and strategies for climate reporting and communication

Why This Matters: Robust GHG accounting and green finance capabilities enable institutions to measure climate impact, manage risk, and support sustainable investment.

Course Duration: ~ 25 hours

Course Objective: This course provides an introduction to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) concepts, equipping learners with a foundational understanding of ESG issues, their materiality, and how they can be integrated into investment decision-making and active ownership.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. The ability to define responsible investment and distinguish it from related concepts
2. An understanding of the business case for responsible investment and the materiality of ESG issues
3. Knowledge of importance and basic methods of active ownership
4. Insight into how ESG integration varies across asset classes

Why This Matters: A strong understanding of ESG topics supports informs investment decisions, and enables financial professionals to contribute to more responsible and resilient financial systems.

Course Duration: ~ 3 hours, self-paced

Course Objective: This course equips public development banks with practical knowledge and tools to design and implement institutional climate strategies.

Learners can expect to gain:

1. An understanding of how to evaluate the current climate strategy landscape and define institutional objectives
2. Practical skills to assess climate risks and opportunities, establish GHG baselines, and set climate targets
3. The ability to strengthen climate governance, evaluate institutional capacity, and implement effective monitoring and reporting systems
4. A framework for developing and executing a successful climate strategy

Why This Matters: Equipping public development banks with the tools to create effective climate strategies helps align their individual institutional operations with global climate goals.

Course Duration: 60-90 minutes, self-paced