Since 2007, UNEP FI has been offering an online course on the climate change risks and opportunities for the finance sector.
As the understanding among financial institutions of the risks and opportunities imposed by climate change becomes more nuanced and sophisticated, and given the recent emergence of corresponding assessment & disclosure logics – first and foremost those underpinned by the 2017 recommendations of the FSB Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), there was a need for climate change training tailored to the financial services industry.
In response, UNEP FI – with the support of CAF, the Latin American Development Bank – and eco.business Fund developed the online course on “Climate Change: Risks and Opportunities for the Finance Sector”. The course aims at supporting financial institutions carry out TCFD-responsive assessments & disclosures, and is based on the groundbreaking work of the UNEP FI pilot groups on TCFD adoption.
Access the course programme here.
*Access the tutors’ biographies.
Following the publication of the inaugural ISSB Standards—IFRS S1 and IFRS S2—the Financial Stability Board has asked the IFRS Foundation to take over the monitoring of the progress on companies’ climate-related disclosures from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 fully incorporate the recommendations of the TCFD. As such, from 2024—as the ISSB Standards start being applied around the world—the IFRS Foundation will take over these responsibilities from the TCFD, which has been monitoring progress towards climate-related disclosures against the recommendations since they were published. To be aligned with these changes, the course material will be updated in 2024. The new course date will be released on this page once the course is ready. You can pre-register your interest for the new course here.
Target Audience
Executives and middle management staff of banks and financial regulators (Central Banks, Superintendences of banks, etc.), from both developed and developing regions. Government and civil society representatives wishing to learn more about the financial risks and opportunities from climate change, and about the required forward-looking assessment methods, are also welcome.
The courses are offered in English, Spanish and French.
Content
The key areas addressed in this course are:
- Climate change as a physical, meteorological phenomenon and the impacts of climate change, covering the basic science of climate change, including the latest scientific insights as compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- The societal response to climate change as a policy-related, economic and technological matter, covering the international climate change regime, its history, and current discussions and challenges; as well as the main policy-related and technological responses to climate change at the national level
- Assessing the credit risks and opportunities from physical climate change
- Assessing the credit risks and opportunities from the transition to the low-carbon economy
Duration
The course lasts three weeks, for two hours/day on average, five days per week.
Participants can set their own study times, allowing for a flexible organisation.
Course Fee
| Participant Profile | Fee |
| Representatives of medium-sized and large financial institutions* (non-UNEPFI-members) | 1400 USD |
|
Representatives of small financial institutions* (non-UNEPFI-members) Representatives of non-Governmental Organisations, academics and Government representatives* |
1200 USD |
| Signatories to UNEP FI (Headquarter & Subsidiaries that pay the annual UNEP FI membership fee) | 900 USD |
*Please note that course fees serve exclusively to cover the costs of running the course, all payments for the Climate Change & the TCFD courses are final and no refund will be given.
5% group discounts (3 or more people from the same Financial Institution in the same course edition) for non signatories.
Cancellation Policy: Participants who cancel their participation in a course once it has started and wish to be placed in a future edition will receive as a courtesy a 10% discount on the tuition for that future course. The course is highly customized, and these late cancellations create costs for the organizers and deny the position in the course to others who were turned away.
Certification: A certificate is delivered by UNEP FI and CAF upon successful completion.
Please note that all applications should be submitted via our online form at least one week prior to the course you wish to participate in.
Testimonials
Overall, 19 CC&TCFD Online Courses have taken place in English and Spanish with a total of 1,057 participants since 2007. Read participants’ testimonials below:
“I really loved the course, it surpassed my furthest expectations =) The effort put into the course was great and it was something I fully expected. Something lighter would probably not have exceeded my expectations. The course has provided me with a lot of academic and policy references on different topics that I would like to review thoroughly. Which is great! thanks =) Super-recomendable.” – Isaac Ré Delgado, Economist, Instituto Crédito Oficial, Spain
“It was a pleasure being part of the Climate Change & TCFD Online Course. I found the replies to our posts very interesting. I also thought the course material and emails we received throughout the three weeks were very useful” – Marco Patrignani, ESG & Sustainability, Intensa Sanpaolo, Italy
“I really enjoyed the course, and the level of detail will help me in my role. We were just able to publish TD’s second TCFD report before the COVID-19 lockdown. It’s been helpful to spend more time thinking about the future trajectory of TCFD reporting and how to construct a narrative, with supporting science-based data to inform both investors and broader stakeholders.” – Rachel Guthrie, Head of ESG Reporting and Impact Measurement,TD Bank Group, Canada
“I have learned a great deal from the course, thank you, and will be exploring the practical application of the scenarios in the coming months in my own organization. I will definitely reach out to my fellow course participants as well as UNEPFI for advice and insights now and then!” – Lisa Pearce, Senior Environmental Specialist, Industrial Development Corporation, South Africa
“It was my utmost pleasure to participate in the training. It was a very positive experience, largely due to the spirit of the moderator. Great job!!! My sincere compliments!!” – Anna Katsantonis, Consultant, Green Climate Fund, South Korea
“I have really gained so much from understanding the science and pathways. The invaluable details this course provided has enhanced the skillset I have developed from working in the financial markets. It has additionally pointed me to many other resources. If you or one of your partner groups does a course on social risks, I will join for sure!” – Cassandra Cox, Managing Director – Sales, Société Générale, UK
Thank you very much for all the materials and for putting together a really useful course. I have learned a lot and I have now the tools to influence the way our financial institution partners think about climate risks and help them move towards a positive direction. I definitely recommend this course” – Alejandro González-León, ESG Impact, CDC Group, UK
“Thank you for providing this course. It was very informative and gave me a good understanding of climate risk related challenges to the financial systems” – Manuchar Chitaishvili, Chief Innovation Officer, JSC MFO Crystal, Georgia
“Thanks for conducting such sessions, these immensely help environmental professionals to upgrade their skill sets and stay relevant. They also help CDC’s investees to embark on the TCFD journey” – Nagasimha Swamy, Manager E&S, CDC Group, UK
“This was a great course by all measures. The workload was a bit heavy but that was very good for discipline. Paul Smith did an excellent job and I look forward to meeting him again on another course” – Morciad Chaparira, Senior Manager, Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank, Zimbabwe
“I was glad to be part of this course. The next step for me is to share this information with my colleagues, and reflect on how TCFD can be efficiently implemented across the Bank” – Dipeeka Ramgolam, Sustainability Reporting Coordinator, The Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited, Mauritius
Training partners:
The course material has been updated in 2020 with the support of the Sustainability Academy, an initiative of the eco.business Fund Development Facility and CAF – Latin American Development Bank.
For more information, access our frequently asked questions or contact us.