In recent years, the global economy is aiming towards ESG (environmental, social and governance) standards, in order to ensure corporate responsibility towards the environment, society and sustainable economic growth. In order to achive those goals, the economy has to undergo a massive transition, which includes restricting activities that can potentially damage the environment, as well as prioritizing sectors which are green and contribute to sustainable development.
Therefore, the financial system is not exempt from this trend, since such transition requires significant investment. The financial system will serve as a conduit of funds towards entities that serve green and sustainable development goals, hence enhancing the transition and making those goals quicker to achieve.
Green Finance course is designed to provide students the basic knowledge for performing the important functions of the financial sector that serve the green transition of the economy.
In this course, we shall cover the concepts related to ESG, as well as environmental issues such as climate change and natural resource shortage. From there, we shall explore the financial system and how capital can be raised for the purpose of achieving environmental and sustainable goals, and how investment can be allocated in order to simultaneously restrict negative impacts on the natural environment and maintain living standards.
In particular, in addition to basic concepts of green and sustainable finance, the course will introduce and analyze various ESG products in banking, insurance, investment and fintech, an overview of global regulations and market framworks, as well as recent standards, especially those related to the environment and climate change risk. The course also touches upon the ethics of green and sustainable finance, including market integrity and preventing greenwashing.