Sustainable Finance and Climate Change

About

This online course introduces students to the role of finance in the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. Mitigating and adapting to climate change while simultaneously realising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires the deployment of large amounts of capital – capital which isn’t currently provided in sufficient amounts. Moreover, climate change poses significant risk to economies and financial systems alike. At the same time, there are substantial opportunities in financing the green transformation and in aligning investments and finance with environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

The course enables students to understand and apply key concepts in climate and sustainable finance, the role of climate and other environmental risks in creating potential financial risks in banking and capital markets, and the role of financial actors in driving a global transition and aligning capital markets with climate and sustainability goals.

The course will draw on examples and case studies from various countries of the Global North and South and different thematic areas including ESG standards, green bond markets, long-term sustainability risk assessment, the role of central banks and financial supervisory authorities, and climate accounting principles. The course will help students build the skills necessary to work and conduct research in a cutting-edge area of finance that is increasingly becoming an important topic for financial institutions and financial authorities around the world.

Course leader

Dr. Ulrich Volz, Dr. Harald Heubaum

Target group

You will have completed one year of undergraduate study at the time of joining the Academic Summer School. Professional experience can be acknowledged as equivalent to a university qualification.

Course aim

On successful completion of the course, a student should be able to demonstrate the ability to:

- Have an in-depth understanding of economic concepts and principles in climate and sustainable finance;
- Understand and explain the gaps in global climate and sustainable finance and propose solutions to meet the funding challenge;
- Explain the role of different actors in climate and sustainable finance, including central banks, financial supervisory authorities, national and multilateral development banks, corporate banks, and institutional investors;
- Understand and analyse the potential risks and opportunities of environmental trends for financial markets, with a particular emphasis on climate risks;
- Explain the range of financial policy instruments and initiatives and their potential with regard to integrating climate change and sustainability into financial policy and supervisory frameworks.

Fee info