CFA Society of the UK to launch ESG investment certificate

21 September 2018

CFA Society of the UK will launch an environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment certificate next year, Insurance Asset Risk has learnt.

As sustainability makes its way into mainstream finance, the UK Society of the CFA Institute is hoping the new certificate will further bridge the knowledge and skills gap between the financial and social sectors.

Will Goodhart, chief executive at CFA Society of the UK told Insurance Asset Risk: “The traditional financial market participants are having to bring themselves up to speed with sustainability and people who have worked in the social sector are now having to become conversant with the language and practices that are used in mainstream finance.”

He added: “Providing that opportunity is a challenge to us, so we are launching a new certificate in ESG investment.”

The certificate will provide entrants to the investment profession with the opportunity to obtain base line knowledge about ESG, and how to integrate it into the investment process. It will also offer the opportunity to those working in sustainability to see what ESG looks like from an investment professional perspective.

“We offer the investment management certificate (IMC) at the moment and that is an entry level qualification for people joining the investment sector,” Goodhart explained.

“We have designed and are building at the moment the certificate in ESG investment to be a complement for the work we do through the IMC. We hope it will be taken by most individuals joining the investment sector.”

Some pilot exams might be organised in January 2019, but Goodhart anticipates the registrations to open at the beginning of next year and the first exams to be taken in the second quarter of 2019.