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

The Sustainable Finance online short course from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) offers 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 through sustainable initiatives like impact investing, the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing, and positive screening.

With expert guidance from CISL faculty, you’ll gain the skills to implement sustainable finance solutions in your own context, and better understand how these strategies can positively impact your organization’s long-term value gain. This course will also give you new perspectives on how businesses, banks, and insurers are shifting to more sustainable business models that offer positive returns for both their 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 both mindsets and the broader financial system are evolving in response to social and environmental pressures and, ultimately, how this can be financially and environmentally beneficial.