Certificate in ESG Investing study plan

Map the ESG analysis and valuation workflow end to end, from data sourcing through materiality assessment to integration into financial models, and write a one-page flow diagram in your own words

Distinguish materiality, double materiality and financial materiality, and state which one drives which type of investment decision

Explain how ESG factors feed DCF inputs such as cash flows, discount rate and terminal value, with at least two worked examples

Define ESG, SRI, impact investing and sustainability-linked instruments and separate them with clear boundary cases

Build a personal glossary of 30 core terms drawn from domains 1 and 7

Compare the main ESG integration methods (negative screening, positive/best-in-class, norms-based screening, thematic, full integration) and state the strengths and weaknesses of each

Apply an ESG scorecard to two hypothetical companies in the same sector and justify a rating difference

Explain how ESG data quality, coverage bias, aggregation and greenwashing risk affect model outputs

Describe how ESG integration changes portfolio construction choices such as weights, constraints and tracking error

Practise adjusting a simple valuation for an ESG-driven risk premium and show the sensitivity

Design an ESG-integrated portfolio for a stated mandate (for example a pension fund with a climate tilt) and justify exclusions, tilts and engagement priorities

Calculate and interpret basic portfolio ESG metrics such as weighted average carbon intensity and ESG score, and note their limitations

Outline the ESG market landscape: asset owners, asset managers, index providers, rating agencies, data vendors and standard setters, and what each does

Distinguish the main reporting and disclosure frameworks and standards and state what each covers

Identify the drivers of ESG market growth and the critiques of ESG investing

Classify environmental factors into climate change, natural capital, pollution and waste, and biodiversity, and give an investment-relevant example of each

Explain physical versus transition risk and how each transmits to cash flows and asset values

Describe the main climate scenarios and what a scenario analysis is meant to show an investor

Interpret common environmental metrics such as Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, carbon intensity and water use

Explain the main policy and regulatory instruments relevant to environmental risk, including carbon pricing

Break social factors into workforce, supply chain, customers and communities, and give an investment-relevant example of each

Explain how social factors are measured and why data is weaker than for environmental or governance factors

Map governance factors across board structure, ownership, remuneration, audit, shareholder rights and business ethics

Explain how governance failures translate into financial risk and how governance quality is assessed

Compare how social and governance factors are treated in different markets and legal systems

Distinguish engagement, voting and stewardship, and explain the purpose and limits of each

Describe the main stewardship codes and the expectations they place on asset managers

Plan an engagement programme for a holding with a specific ESG concern, including objectives, escalation and measurement

Explain how client mandates, IPS wording and regulatory requirements shape ESG reporting obligations

Design a client report that communicates ESG performance honestly without overclaiming

Explain how ESG factors are incorporated into different asset classes, including equities, fixed income, real estate and private markets

Describe the role of ESG indices and benchmarks and the risks of benchmark selection

Interpret portfolio analytics such as attribution, carbon footprint and scenario results for a client audience

Identify the main regulatory and reporting requirements affecting ESG funds and mandates

Draft a client-facing explanation of an ESG strategy in plain language

Consolidate all nine domains into a single concept map linking each domain to the others

Complete a timed full-length mock exam and score it by domain

Rework every weak area flagged by the mock into a corrected note

Recite the key definitions, frameworks and metrics from memory under time pressure

Plan your final week of revision around your two weakest domains