CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, will launch a certificate in ESG investing, created by the CFA Society of the United Kingdom, in financial hubs across the globe.

The new global qualification for ESG in investment management aims to strengthen market integrity by delivering the benchmark knowledge and skills required by investment professionals to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the investment process.

With 76% of institutional investors and 69% of retail investors declaring an interest in ESG, according to a survey by the institute, the certificate will enable the industry to evolve by placing sustainable practices at the forefront of investment considerations, ultimately contributing to more holistic financial analysis.

Designed to meet the needs of practitioners in investment roles who want to learn how to analyze and integrate material ESG factors into their daily investment analysis practice, the certificate is also suitable for anyone looking to improve their understanding of ESG issues in functions, such as sales and distribution, wealth management, product development, financial advice, consulting and risk.

“We are seeing a real acceleration of interest in ESG investing – a major development that will shape the future of finance – while increased demand from clients and investment management firms has fuelled the need for education,” says Margaret Franklin, CFA president. “This certificate is the first of its kind to be made available globally, and will equip practitioners with foundational knowledge and competencies, enabling them to better serve the needs of their clients and contribute to building trust within the industry.”

The certificate programme is a self-study course requiring approximately 130 hours of study, culminating in a two-hour, 20-minute computer-based exam comprising 100 questions.