Marketing vs. Sales: What's the Difference?
November 22, 2024
Article
Gain a solid foundation in Sustainable Finance. Gain essential knowledge of ESG principles and sustainable finance to identify opportunities and create value in your organisation.
Instructor: Amir Amel-Zadeh
Included with
Recommended experience
Beginner level
An understanding of basic financial reporting requirements.
Recommended experience
Beginner level
An understanding of basic financial reporting requirements.
Learn the fundamentals of sustainability and gain a comprehensive understanding of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors.
Explore the business case for ESG and master the frameworks, standards and best practices for ESG reporting and disclosure.
Better understand sustainable finance and learn about the range of sustainable financial products and services available to drive positive change.
Add to your LinkedIn profile
February 2025
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
This introductory specialisation helps finance professionals and managers understand the basics of sustainability, ESG, and sustainable finance. Starting with fundamental concepts, you’ll then progress through the business applications of ESG and explore common sustainable finance products. The specialisation focuses on practical examples and real-world applications, making complex topics accessible for professionals new to sustainable finance and ESG.
Applied Learning Project
Through the specialisation, you will complete parts of a capstone project in each course. The capstone tasks across the three courses follow a fictional organisation's (GreenBank) journey to become a more sustainable financial institution, first conducting foundational stakeholder and ESG analysis (Course 1), then developing basic communication and reporting approaches (Course 2), and finally recommending suitable sustainable finance products (Course 3). Through these interconnected but standalone assessments, you will apply concepts from each course to help GreenBank address the authentic challenge of integrating sustainability into its operations and product offerings in a way that meets stakeholder expectations.
How sustainability and ESG frameworks interact and why they matter for business today, including the core dimensions of each framework.
Major sustainability challenges facing business and society, and how organisations are using ESG metrics and frameworks to address the challenges.
How organisations are integrating sustainability and ESG considerations into their strategies, and the key challenges they need to overcome.
How ESG performance connects to business value and financial outcomes, including the key factors that drive this relationship.
The essential components of effective ESG reporting and disclosure, including major frameworks and standards used by businesses globally.
How to develop and implement ESG strategies that create long-term value while meeting stakeholder expectations for transparency and accountability.
Fundamental principles of sustainable finance and how it differs from traditional finance, including key products and strategies driving the market.
How financial institutions and organisations are using sustainable finance instruments to achieve both financial returns and positive impact.
How to select appropriate sustainable finance solutions by understanding their features, benefits, and potential applications in different contexts.
Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford is a vibrant and innovative business school, embedded within a 900-year-old world leading university. We create programmes and ideas that have global impact and reach. We educate leaders, change makers and innovators across every industry and sector. Our ground-breaking research and exceptional teaching transforms individuals, who transform businesses, which transforms the world. We create ïmpact from within.
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
An understanding of basic financial reporting requirements.
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.