Climate Change and Sustainable Investing Course

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Climate change is no longer hypothetical. Scientific evidence is clear about the fact that temperatures are rising at an unprecedented rate and that it is most likely due to human activity since the mid-20th century. To be able to limit the increase in global average temperature to 2°C above pre-industrial levels at most, all industries will have to take investment decisions that will alter the current path. Delaying emissions reductions will lead to long lasting implications. This course will lay the foundations for the development of solutions in the financial industry.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After having taken this course, participants will be able

• to understand the origins and anthropogenicity of climate change, and to put current changes in climate in perspective with change in the past;
• to understand key concepts such as the levelized cost of energy, the portfolio approach to non-fossil-fuel sources, the scale of the required effort, and the interplay of renewables, sequestration and negative emission technologies;
• to appreciate the pros and cons of different ways currently considered to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations.

More specifically, participants should be able to

• Understand how to measure and manage carbon risk exposure in equity portfolios
• Address the challenges of the adaptation of investment decisions in the presence of climate change

PREREQUISITES

• Empirical Methods in Finance
• Asset Management

COURSE CONTENT