GD680 – ESG: Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance

Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria are a set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments. Environmental criteria consider how a company performs as a steward of nature. Social criteria examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates. Corporate governance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are an increasingly popular way for investors to evaluate companies in which they might want to invest. ESG criteria can also help investors avoid companies that might pose a greater financial risk due to their environmental or other practices. As ESG-minded business practices gain more traction, investment firms are increasingly tracking their performance. Financial services companies such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs have published annual reports that extensively review their ESG approaches and the bottom-line results. The objective of this course is to equip students with in-depth knowledge of the ESG principles and apply this knowledge to assess and manage investments with a focus on integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. This course is designed for professionals looking to integrate the ESG issues in their fields of work, such as for example: sales & distribution wealth management product development financial advice consulting compliance risk After taking this elective course, participants may choose to continue their professional education by gaining the Certificate in ESG Investing by CFA Society of the United Kingdom (CFA UK Level 4 Certificate in ESG Investing https://www.cfauk.org/study/esg#gsc.tab=0 ).