The UK branch of the CFA Institute has launched a new qualification in ESG investing which will be the first formal qualification of its kind in the UK market.
The Certificate in ESG Investing has been designed to meet increased demand for ESG – or environmental, social and governance – industry knowledge and skills and will be available to investment professionals later this year.
Revealed at the CFA Institute Annual Conference in London, the certificate is recognised by the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI), the UN-sponsored body and proponent of responsible investment.
Will Goodhart, chief executive of CFA UK, said that the course had been created in response to a surge of interest in ESG from investors in recent years.
“The certificate will help professionals to build and demonstrate expertise in ESG investing and investment firms to extend their resources and illustrate their commitment,” he said.
“We are pleased to support the development of the sector’s skills and competencies in this critically important field.”
Goodhart added that the qualification could be made available in other countries, once the UK pilot programme had been successfully tested.
The qualification has been modelled on CFA UK’s existing Investment Management Certificate (IMC), considered the benchmark entry-level qualification for the UK investment profession.
A pilot exam with professionals from firms including HSBC and Vanguard is scheduled to take place in early September when general registration will open. The first official open sitting of the exam will be available from 1 December 2019.
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