Sustainable Finance: Using the Power of Money to Change the World

Gain an introduction to sustainable finance

It is now widely agreed by global governments and international organisations that the climate emergency is the most urgent challenge facing humanity. It represents an existential challenge not just for our way of life but to our very survival as a species.

In our global economy, finance is the fuel that drives all activity and banks play a vital role in the climate crisis. On this six-week course, you’ll gain an introduction to financial markets and how finance isn’t sustainable.

You’ll learn how banks work and how we can use the power of money for good to achieve sustainability rather than causing damage.

Unpack sustainable investments and sustainability reporting

You’ll delve into the tools and policies that can shift finances away from destructive activities and towards sustainable investments.

Next, you’ll explore sustainability reporting to understand how to measure the true impacts of investments.

Explore climate finance and greenwashing

You’ll unpack the loss-and-damage agenda and climate finance as you uncover the role accountants play in sustainable finance.

Then, you’ll understand what is meant by greenwashing. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to identify what is sustainable and what is masked by greenwashing.

Understand climate justice with the experts from the University of Roehampton

Throughout the course, you’ll be guided by Molly Scott Cato, British Green politician, economist, and activist.

With her expertise, you’ll understand how sustainability has impacted on the key areas of finance, banking, and accounting. You’ll finish the course with the confidence to take your next steps towards climate justice.

This course is designed for anyone interested in climate justice and the role of finance in tackling the climate crisis.

It will be particularly useful for those in finance, accountants, policy-makers, or students of economics or accountancy.

It may also be of interest to environmentalists and activists who are seeking policy proposals to accelerate the sustainability transition.

This course is designed for anyone interested in climate justice and the role of finance in tackling the climate crisis.

It will be particularly useful for those in finance, accountants, policy-makers, or students of economics or accountancy.

It may also be of interest to environmentalists and activists who are seeking policy proposals to accelerate the sustainability transition.

• Explore how financial is fuelling the climate crisis including tracing the flow of finance into fossil fuel expansion, the subsidies given to fossil fuel by our governments, and the power of the fossil fuel lobby
• Debate the alternative approaches to putting a price on carbon dioxide emissions based on the experiences of different countries including your own country
• Critique the current operation of banks and investment companies and think about how to challenge them to act responsibly in a climate emergency including prohibiting the issue of bank licences to banks that finance fossil fuels
• Evaluate means we can use to shift finance towards sustainability including green bonds, banking regulation, the redefinition of banking assets
• Engage with the urgent issue of climate finance by understanding the claims made by the countries suffering clilmate impacts for climate reparations and the issue of climate finance more widely
• Report the transformation in the role of accountants as accounting for Environmental, Social and Governance impacts becomes a top political priority across the world