Learning Outcomes

  • Improve your Know-Your-Client (KYC) process and unleash new business opportunities by understanding investors’ motivations to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into the investment decision process.

  • Unpack ESG terminology and standards to facilitate conversations with ESG savvy individuals.

  • Meet Know-Your-Product (KYP) obligations by understanding and distinguishing various ESG investing strategies, their objectives and their application.

  • Discover financial implications of sustainability topics for company’s long-term performance.

  • Gain ESG insights through various tools, resources and frameworks.

Course curriculum

    1. WELCOME TO ED4S ACADEMY!

    1. Sustainability of our economies

    2. Role of the Financial Insitutions

    3. ESG and definitions

    4. Sustainability by Department

    1. Course Intro and Outline

    2. What is Sustainable Investing

    3. Sustainable Investing Overview

    4. Navigating ESG Investing Terms

    5. Market Size

    6. ESG Glossary

    7. Interview with an Expert - Irina Scarlete - AMNIe

    8. Test your learnings (Required passing rate 75%)

    9. Interested in this course?

    1. Course Intro and Outline

    2. What is Impact Investing?

    3. How Impact Investing Fits in the SI Universe?

    4. Why Impact Investing Matters?

    5. Theory of Change ft. Dr. Anita Nowak

    6. Interested in this course?

    1. What is Active Ownership?

    2. Introduction

    3. Engagement Goals and Active Ownership Policy

    4. Engagement Metrics

    5. Interested in this course?

    1. Course Intro

    2. Introduction to SASB

    3. Evolution of the Accounting Standards

    4. Sustainable Industry Classification

    5. Interested in this course?

About this course

  • Free
  • 30 lessons
  • 1.5 hours of video content

Our Difference

  • Laser-focused

    Don't get lost in the overwhelm of ESG research papers, webinars and news. We have aggregated the best ones to save you time.

  • Flexible

    In addition to the core material, you can select topics of your interest to dive deeper through recommended readings.

  • Fun to watch

    Tired of Zoom presentations? You are in the right place. Our courses are mix of an explainer video and a documentary. Sit back and enjoy!

Instructor

Lead Instructor Maria Maisuradze, CFA, FSA

Maria has over 12 years of experience in the financial industry and has been actively involved in the sustainable finance and education field over the past few years. She is a graduate of Concordia University, CFA Charterholder and SASB-FSA Credential Holder. Maria is a member of CFA Montreal's ESG committee and a member of the SASB-FSA Quebec Group. In addition, she has co-founded the Sustainability Ecosystem, initiative aiming to advance practical knowledge of advanced topics in ESG and Sustainability.

Senior Instructor Nawar Alsaadi, SIPC, FSA

Nawar is a sustainable investment professional with 10+ years in capital markets and corporate engagement experience. He has been involved with a number of high-profile activist campaigns with TSX and NYSE listed companies on issues pertaining to corporate governance and corporate strategy. In 2014, he founded Semper Augustus Capital, an activist investing firm with a focus on corporate governance and strategy. In 2018, he expanded his engagement focus to the full spectrum of ESG topics through the development and application of the Material Engagement concept. Nawar holds a Sustainable Investment Professional Certification from Concordia University, ESG Investing certification from the CFA institute (UK), and an FSA Credential from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Nawar is also a member of the Governance Professionals of Canada, and serves as an ESG Engagement expert at Amnie.org. Nawar is the author of five books, and an active contributor to the financial and sustainability press.

Course Narrator

Rob Rankin

Professional Voice Actor, with years of experience creating professional, natural, warm and inspiring voice recording and post-production. Rob has worked with companies such as Bamboo Capital Group, Prudential Insurance, Honda.

Special Contributor

Marie-Josée Privyk, CFA, RIPC, FSA Credential

Marie-Josée draws on nearly 30 years of experience in capital markets, namely as Financial Analyst of small and mid cap companies (Marleau, Lemire Inc., National Bank Financial Inc.), as Director of Investor Relations (Innergex Inc.), and as ESG Advisor to companies and investors (FinComm Services, Millani). She is currently Head of Innovation and Customer Success at Novisto, an all-in-one sustainability management platform.

Content Contributors

Industry experts and practitioners

  • Tamara Close, CFA

    Founder and Managing Director @ Close Group Consulting Inc. | ESG Integration & Strategy Advisor | Speaker | Board Director |

  • Nawar Alsaadi, FSA

    Senior Portfolio Manager, ESG Investing | Author | Speaker | Pioneer in the emerging field of Engagement Analytics |

Student Reviews

Lena Gillich

Associate ESG Analyst @ Moody's

Great introductory course, very clear structure to understand the basics of ESG investing!

Gamaliel Blanco

Executive Director @ JP Morgan Asset Management

5/5 This course has inspired me to continue my ESG education.

Chika Igwe

Policy Director, AI and Emerging Technology Initiative and Fellow, Foreign Policy at The Brookings Institution

I have found this course to be very helpful and beneficial. Well articulated and concise content with considerable resources. Case study assignment provided particularly good practice in analysing different souces to get a wholistic picture or specific information on sustainable investments. Will certainly recommend!Chika Igwe

Rafiq Diab

Sustainability Consultant

It is realistic and state of the art in the ESG knowledge

Catherine MacDonald

Senior Marketing Manager @ Fidelity Labs

Well concepts are explained well and the structure of the course is well organized. The short lessons in each topic make it easy to digest and the quiz section keeps you alert.

Our Students Work At

FAQ

  • How much time will I need to dedicate to complete this course?

    Course will require minimum of 2 hours to complete and can take up to 6 hours of your investment if you decide to complete all the recommended readings.

  • What does the course include?

    Course consists of 90 minutes of on demand microlearning videos, integrated quizzes, and additional reading resources, if you wish to dive deeper into certain topics. Upon completion, Certificate of Participation will be issued.

  • Is there a deadline to complete the course?

    Students have up to 2 months from the enrollment date to complete the course.

  • I am not from a finance background, is this course a good fit?

    This course is covering the essentials of Sustainable Investing and ESG, and is built to be accessible for individuals with various backgrounds. Basic understanding of how investment decisions are made is recommended to better understand the course.

  • Do you offer group discounts?

    Yes. We offer special rates for enrollment of 5 individuals and more. We also provide course customization services to better meet specific employee training needs. Contact us at [email protected] for more details

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