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This course is part of the Business in Society and track.
Introduction to Sustainable Investing
Evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, and measure and manage impact investments.
6
weeks
5
hours per week
6
modules
Self-Paced
with regular deadlines
This course earns you a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online. What you earn.
Overview
Syllabus
Enrollment
Stories
FAQs
Key Concepts
Who Will Benefit
Learn how to evaluate, measure, and manage sustainable investment opportunities with cutting-edge frameworks, strategies, and techniques.
The course content is well designed and helps investors get a basic understanding of what sustainable finance is, its challenges, the path forward, and its key players.
Akanksha Davera
Sustainable Investing Participant
Gain frameworks and analytical tools you can apply to make future financial decisions that serve your clients’ or organization’s goals and objectives.
“I think it's the best online course on Sustainable Investing.”
Andrew Buks
Instructor of Management & Business Policy and Strategy at School of Business, Black Hills State University
Develop practical skills you can apply to one of the fastest-growing fields in finance.
"The course is a comprehensive introduction filled with dynamic case studies that I found fascinating."
Alvina Chan
Sustainable Investing Participant
What You Earn
Certificate of Completion
Certificate of Specialization
Learn More about what you earn
Syllabus
Download full syllabus
Prerequisite
To succeed in the course, participants should have completed an introductory finance course or equivalent at some point during their education and possess a basic understanding of investment management, capital markets, and asset classes.
5
hrs
Module 1
Overview of Sustainable Investing
Learn key terminology and develop an understanding of the sustainable investing sector and its importance and viability.
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Concepts
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Introduction to Sustainable Investing
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Incumbent Players Integrating Sustainability
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The Returns and Impact Continuum
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Module Wrap-Up
Featured Exercises
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Categorize business model characteristics and environmental, social, and governance criteria
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Reflect on challenges and opportunities of sustainability strategies
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5
hrs
Module 2
Public Equities
Understand the role of ESG factors, and evaluate different approaches, risks, and returns to incorporating ESG as an asset owner or manager.
Highlights
Non-Traditional Investment Criteria like ESG
Introduction: California State Teachers' Retirement System
CalSTRS: Effects of Shareholder Engagement
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Concepts
-
Sustainable Investing in Public Markets
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Divestment: Screening and Portfolio Tilts
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Engagement and Proxy Voting
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ESG Integration and Alpha Generation
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Sustainable Public Market Funds
Featured Exercises
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Evaluate the ESG performance of various companies
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Match ESG use cases to corresponding strategies
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Articulate divestment goals and theories of change
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5
hrs
Module 3
Venture, Private Equity, and Sustainable Debt
Identify sources of value-add in private impact investing, analyze how managers weigh financial and social returns, and explore different types of sustainable debt.
Highlights
Private-Market Impact Investing
Impactful Private Equity
Impact Investing Fund Selection
Evaluating Bellwether Coffee
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Concepts
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The Mainstreaming of Impact Investments
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The Potential for an "Impact Edge"
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Align Incentives to Create Value
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Green Bonds and Other Debt Instruments
Featured Exercises
-
Analyze characteristics and assess the performance of funds and fund managers
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5
hrs
Module 4
Measuring, Managing, and Accounting for Impact
Interpret and analyze frameworks for measuring environmental and social factors, and integrate impact measurement into investment and management processes.
Highlights
Impact Attribution, Heirarchy of Evidence
TGP Rise: Would Everfi Create Enough Impact?
TPG Rise: Investment Result, Takeaways from the Rise Fund
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Concepts
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Developing Impact Strategies
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Measuring and Accounting for Impact
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The Rise Fund: Impact Multiple of Money
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ESG Disclosure
Featured Exercises
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Break down an impact logic chain
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Calculate expected impact, risk-adjusted total impact, and impact multiple of money score
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5
hrs
Module 5
Integrating Climate Risk and Financing Climate Solutions
Understand the fundamentals of climate finance and risk inherent in investment portfolios, and integrate climate-related risks and opportunities into investment analysis.
Highlights
Climate-Related Risks and Responses
Generate Capital
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Concepts
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The Era of Climate Change
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Asset Allocation Amid the Climate Crisis
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Funding and Scaling Up Climate Innovation
Featured Exercises
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Relate Sustainable Development Goals and climate change
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Consider challenges of climate change and scaling up climate solutions
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5
hrs
Module 6
Long-Run Theories of Change
Analyze how mission-driven nonprofits measurably increase their impact and envision and examine the future of sustainable investing.
Highlights
Theories of Change
Introduction: Social Finance, Financial Innovation for Social Change
Introduction: Ford Foundation, the Other 95%
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Concepts
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Pay for Success
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Leveraging the Entire Institution for Change
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The Evolution of Capitalism
Featured Exercises
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Assess outcomes of the Pay-for-Success model
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Analyze risks and opportunities of mission-related investments
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Prioritize course takeaways and how to implement them
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Interested in using this course for CFA Institute credit?
The CFA Institute—including the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement programs—allows its members the ability to self-determine and self-report continuing education credits earned from external sources. CFA Institute members are encouraged to self-document such credits in their online Professional Learning tracker.
Free E-Book
Access your free e-book
Our Difference
Sustainable Investing will equip you with the insights, frameworks, and skills to evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and measure and manage impact resulting from investments.
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes.
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes.
Description of silent animated video above: Learner completes an interactive question by dragging and dropping choices into two different categories
Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Description of silent animated video above: Learner types an answer in the discussion board in response to a peer's question
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, DBL Partners, and the Ford Foundation.
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading experts from companies like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, DBL Partners, and the Ford Foundation.
Description of silent animated video above: Learner scrolls through video interviews from prominent business leaders
About the Professors
Shawn Cole
Sustainable Investing
John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration
"Sustainable Investing is an online course that equips investment professionals and those in related fields with the insights, frameworks, and skills to evaluate, and manage, and measure social and environmental impact when making investment decisions."
Vikram Gandhi
Sustainable Investing
Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
"In this course, you'll explore the intersection of investment and impact and learn how to incorporate ESG factors into your investment decisions."
Dates & Eligibility
Starting
Mar
13
6 Weeks $1,750 + applicable international taxes
Application deadline March 4
View weekly calendar
Starting
May
15
6 Weeks $1,750 + applicable international taxes
Application deadline May 6
View weekly calendar
Starting
Jul
24
6 Weeks $1,850 + applicable international taxes
Application deadline July 15
-
- Free application
-
- No documentation required
-
- Confirmation within one week
All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course.
Learn about bringing this course to your organization.
Learner Stories
91%
gained deeper expertise in specific areas
The course content is well designed and helps investors get a basic understanding of what sustainable finance is, its challenges, the path forward, and its key players.
Akanksha Davera
Sustainable Investing Participant
I think it's the best online course on Sustainable Investing.
Andrew Buks
Instructor of Management & Business Policy and Strategy at School of Business, Black Hills State University
Read more learner stories
* Source: 2022 surveys and course data
All FAQs
Sustainable Investing FAQs
Participants in Sustainable Investing are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.
Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This will mean meeting each week’s course module deadlines and fully answering questions posed therein. This helps ensure participants proceed through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect you to offer feedback on others’ reflections and contribute to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.
More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Sustainable Investing. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.
You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final deadline in the program.
At the end of each course module, you will be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts used throughout the course. At the end of the program, you will receive a PDF compilation of all of the module summary documents. We hope the module summary documents will serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.
Once you've earned your Certificate of Completion, list it on your resume along with the date of completion:
Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Sustainable Investing
[Cohort Start Month and Year]
List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" with the language from the Credential Verification page:
School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Sustainable Investing
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: "Complete"
Activities and Societies: Leave blank
Description:
Sustainable Investing is a 6-week, 30-hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. Sustainable Investing equips investment professionals and those in related fields with the insights, frameworks, and skills to evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and measure and manage impact investments.
The program was developed by leading Harvard Business School faculty and is delivered in an active learning environment based on the HBS signature case-based learning model.
Participants should have completed an introductory finance course or equivalent at some point during their education and possess a basic understanding of investment management, capital markets, and asset classes.
CFA Institute (including the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement programs) allows its members the ability to self-determine and self-report continuing education credits earned from external sources. CFA Institute members are encouraged to self-document such credits in their online Professional Learning tracker.
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