SUSTAINABLE FINANCE

This course is an introduction to how sustainability issues (commonly referred to as ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance) have become financially material to the global equity, credit, underwriting, insurance, risk management, venture capital, and asset management capital markets. These issues have a direct impact on risk exposure and the quality of public, private and government debt/equity investments. The course will devote significant time to fundamental principles of finance including valuation, financial statements, time-value of money, capital markets, and asset management. Students will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively communicate sustainability/ ESG issues to a financial professional.

This course gives students a foundation in how sustainability issues affect the various sectors of finance and an understanding of how integrating sustainability principles and practices into finance can be used to make a business become more efficient, effective, reduce risks, create opportunities and provide competitive advantage, for both companies and financial firms alike. The course will provide a framework for how sustainable investing has subcategories for socially responsible investing (SRI), ESG integration, ESG thematics, and Impact Investing. The alignment and tradeoffs of sustainability issues and their impact on management and investors will also be addressed.