The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) is the latest professional body to have launched a new course on sustainable and responsible investing.
Aimed primarily at wealth and investment managers, the CISI Sustainable and Responsible Investment Professional Assessment is an online, intermediate-level course that takes six hours of study time/CPD hours culminating in a 60 minute test and completion certificate.
The content will cover terminology and jargon, the crossover of sustainable and responsible investing with ESG, regulations and standards, how to spot greenwashing, benchmarking, integrating ESG, client sustainability objectives, and what the future holds.
Although aimed at wealth and investment managers, the CISI said the course is also relevant to other financial services professionals, such as financial planners, and is open to members for £100 and non-members for £120.
Kevin Moore, CISI global business development director, said: “There is more focus than ever before on sustainability, green investment and ESG considerations. There is also increasing emphasis coming from regulators on integrity in this area, including anticipated reporting requirements and a need for all professionals to understand the key concepts with regards to responsible finance.”
A recent CISI survey found just 20% of UK financial services professionals were confident their firms are committed to ethical finance policies and ESG principles.
“Ahead of the UK hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow in November this year, the focus for global financial services practitioners – for themselves, their clients and their firms – is to ensure their knowledge and skills are up to speed in this fast-moving ESG area,” Moore continued.
Last month the CFA Institute issued its ESG certificate globally in order to meet “increased demand” in ESG investing.
The CFA said the Certificate is “designed to meet the needs of practitioners in investment roles who want to learn how to analyse and integrate material ESG factors into their daily investment analysis practice”.
