CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing

Learn how to make a difference in your career – and the world

The CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing gives you the knowledge you need to manage investments with a focus on integrating environmental, social, and governance factors. It can help you gain an edge in a fast-moving market.

You’ll develop expertise in a field in high demand by top firms worldwide and become part of the solution to the top issues impacting our world.

What you’ll learn:

Context for different approaches to responsible investment and specifically, consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.
Underlying issues that constitute factors within each of the environmental, social and governance areas.
Broader sustainability context and global initiatives.
The ESG market: relevance, size, scope, key drivers and challenges, and risks and opportunities.
Environmental factors, systemic relationships, material impacts, megatrends and approaches to environmental analysis at country, sector and company levels.
Social factors, systemic relationships, material impacts and approaches to social analysis at country, sector and company levels.
Governance factors, key characteristics, main models and material impacts.
Engagement and stewardship.
ESG analysis, valuation and integration.
Ability to analyse how ESG factors may affect industry and company performance, and security valuation across a range of asset classes.
ESG integrated portfolio construction and management.
Application of various of approaches to ESG analysis and integration across a range of asset classes.
Investment mandates, portfolio analytics and client reporting.

Your commitment at a glance

865

USD

Registration cost

Cost of learning material and exam.

months

Time to complete

Amount of time you have to complete the certificate.

100+

hours

Study time

Amount of time we recommend studying for the exam.

PL credits

Members

Number of credits members can earn for professional learning goals.

This activity has been accredited for continuing professional development by the Financial Planning Association of Australia, and CFA Societies Australia will provide a certificate after successful completion.

Who should register?

This certificate is designed for investment practitioners who want to learn more about how to analyze and integrate material ESG factors into their day-to-day roles. It is suitable for anyone working in front or back offices and adjacent roles — including sales and distribution, wealth management, product development, financial advice, consulting, risk — as well as anyone looking to improve their understanding of ESG issues.

No prerequisites but prior knowledge of the investment process is recommended.

USD 865

To register for the Certificate in ESG Investing, sign into your CFA Institute account or sign up to create a new account.

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Benchmarking the Certificate in ESG Investing

An independent evaluation found the following levels of comparability for the Certificate in ESG Investing:

USA – Associate degree standard
UK – RQF Level 4
Canada – OQF Level 7
India – NSQF Level 6
Hong Kong – HKQF Level 4
Singapore – Singaporean Polytechnic Diploma standard
Australia – AQF Level 5
Brazil – Curso Superior de Formação Especifíca (Higher Education Diploma of Specific Training)
China – Preparatory Technician Certificate standard
Japan – Associate degree standard
South Africa – S.A. NQF Level 6
France – NQF Level 4

Learning experience and content

We offer several ways to engage with the content to meet your preferred way of learning.

Learning Ecosystem

Access a digital version of the curriculum, including the syllabus, self-assessment questions, and mock exams.

Content PDFs

Download PDF versions of the curriculum, including the syllabus, chapters, and glossary.

Curriculum Book

Purchase a print version of the curriculum for an additional charge.

The certificate and learning materials were developed by leading practitioners for practitioners and have received recognition from the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). PRI is an independent body that seeks to encourage investors to use responsible investment to enhance returns and better manage business risks.

View syllabus and topic weights

What to expect from the exam

Exam Scheduling:

6 months

Once you register, you have 6 months to schedule and sit for your exam.

Number of Questions:

100 multiple choice

Exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions.

Testing Time:

140 minutes

You will have 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete the exam.

Exam scheduling

CFA Institute provides two exam scheduling options for taking your exam:

In-person at a test center in select markets
Online via online proctoring provided you meet requirements

Before registering, check if remote examination or a physical test center is available in your area. ProProctor remote proctoring is not available in all markets at this time.

Exam results

Exams are graded as either “pass” or “did not pass.” Your exam results will be provided on-screen at the end of your examination, and a copy will be emailed to you. Candidates who do not pass will receive detailed performance feedback.

Certificate availability

While the Certificate in ESG Investing is offered in most countries, it is not yet available globally. We are working to expand the certificate into additional markets. At this time, for example, we are not able to test candidates in Mainland China while we are in the process of applying for a regulatory license. This applies to in person testing as well as online proctored exams. Please review the complete list of test center locations before registering.

Check the Test Center Locations by Country/Region (PDF) list before registering, if you are likely to schedule an in-person testing appointment for your exam.