This course is part of the ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux Specialization

Steven Levine

Offered By

ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux SpecializationInteractive Brokers

About this Course

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As ESG investing continues to evolve, so do the funding mechanisms many companies, organizations, and governments use to finance their stated goals. Indeed, ESG-focused financial products, or ‘green assets’, have been  growing in volume – as well as by type. In the fixed income space alone, instruments available to investors include green bonds, social bonds, sustainability-linked bonds, climate awareness bonds, gender bonds, and others – not to mention a growing list of ESG-themed exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Through this series of videos, webinars, and readings, students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products (e.g., bonds, ETFs) will learn how to describe various characteristics of green assets, including the supply, demand, and performance of green bonds, as well as holdings of certain ESG-themed ETFs, and discuss the recent growth of related fund flows. They should also be able to explain the principles and frameworks behind the issuance of different ESG-related fixed income products, as well as provide insights into how certain government and central bank policies may pose some critical challenges in this space.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

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Coursera Labs

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Course 3 of 4 in the

ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux Specialization

Beginner Level

Previous investment experience is helpful although not required. Familiarity with fixed income products and ETFs is recommended.

Approx. 22 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Describe various characteristics of green assets, including the supply, demand, and performance of green bonds.
Discuss how ESG fund flows have evolved.
Evaluate and compare certain ESG-themed ETFs
Explain the principles and frameworks behind the issuance of different ESG-related fixed income products.

Skills you will gain

ICMA Principles and Guidelines
Green Asset Analysis
Green Bonds
Social Bonds
ETFs

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 3 of 4 in the

ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux Specialization

Beginner Level

Previous investment experience is helpful although not required. Familiarity with fixed income products and ETFs is recommended.

Approx. 22 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Steven Levine

Senior Market Analyst

44,229 Learners

8 Courses

Offered by

Interactive Brokers

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

2 hours to complete

An Introduction to Green Assets

This module centers on several types of green assets, including green bonds and social bonds, and the International Capital Market Association’s (ICMA) role in providing the driving principles behind their issuance. You should be able to explain who is selling these instruments, as well as some of the fixed-income related risks inherent in these types of products. Other green assets such as ESG-themed ETFs, and certain commodities are also introduced.

2 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 10 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Fixed Income Product Perspectives - Truvalue Labs (Parts 1-3)

This webinar, “The Global State of GSSS Bonds”, presented by James Cardamone, associate director of ESG product at FactSet-owned Truvalue Labs, takes a deeper look at some of the financial instruments associated with ESG investing – many of which have recently witnessed an increasing groundswell of supply and demand. Through this presentation, you should acquire a better picture of ESG-related fixed income products, such as green, social, sustainable, and sustainability-linked bonds, how to analyze them, and, ultimately, make better informed investment decisions. Among other topics, Cardamone explores the allure behind these fixed-income products, who is selling and buying them, how they differ from conventional bonds, and what purposes they serve within the ESG investing sphere.

2 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 18 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

3 videos

GSSS Market Overview6mBrief History & Growth of GSSS Issuance5m Green Bonds: Consumer Composition and Considerations5m

3 readings

The Global State of GSSS Bonds - Handout Presentation10mClimate Bonds Initiative - Sustainable Debt - Global State of the Market (2020)45mAlphabet issues sustainability bonds to support environmental and social initiatives10m

1 practice exercise

Fixed Income Product Perspectives - Truvalue Labs (Parts 1-3) - Quiz30m

Week3

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Fixed Income Product Perspectives - Truvalue Labs (Parts 4-5)

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 13 min)

Week4

Week 4

10 hours to complete

Fixed Income Product Perspectives - Truvalue Labs (Parts 6-7)

10 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 8 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

Week5

Week 5

3 hours to complete

ESG-themed Exchange-traded Funds

The next series of videos introduces you to ESG-themed ETFs, another asset class in the sustainability-related space, including a broad overview by Ron DeLegge, founder of ETFguide and host of the series ETF Battles. In that introduction, DeLegge offers insights into how standards vary across these products, as well as presents four of the top US-listed ETFs by assets, which may be used to begin your research. DeLegge is then joined by two analysts, who compare and contrast three index-based, ESG-focused ETFs from iShares and Vanguard – with their evaluations formed on the bases of cost, exposure strategy, performance, and more – demonstrating how you can follow their analytical strategies for your own investing decisions.

3 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 24 min)

Week6

Week 6

5 hours to complete

Reading Reinforcements

Readings in this module home in on the principles underlying different types of ESG-related fixed income products, examines certain specific bonds, as well as delves into certain government policy underpinning the rise of green asset supply, product diversity, and fund flows. We’ve also provided some commentary and research that addresses certain critical challenges of green bonds that you may factor into your analyses.

5 hours to complete

1 video (Total 1 min), 12 readings, 3 quizzes

1 video

Reading Reinforcements59s

12 readings

ICMA - Sustainability Bond Guidelines15mICMA - Sustainability-linked Bond Principles25mAMMC - Gender Bond Guidelines45mBank of America - Fifth Corporate Green Bond for $2 Billion (Oct 2019)10mIBKR - SMFG Sells Green Bonds As Climate Change Gains Ground (Jan 2021)10mApple - $4.7 billion Green Bond spend is helping to create 1.2 GW of clean power (Mar 2021)10mMoody's - Sustainable bond issuance hits record high in Q3 as green bonds recover (Nov 2020)10mIDB Invest - Gender Bond (Mar 2021)10mLipper - ESG-SRI U.S. Funds Steadily Attract Inflows (July 2021)10mReuters - Investors storm into alternative energy funds (Jan 2021)10mBaker McKenzie - Critical Challenges Facing the Green Bond Market10mWSJ - Fixing Climate Change Is Not the Central Bank's Job (July 2021)10m

1 practice exercise

ESG Fund Flows - Quiz45m

About the ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux Specialization

As ESG investing continues to evolve towards a global standard, certain initiatives such as the UN’s sustainable development goals, and the Paris Agreement on climate change, have already spurred significant changes across the financial markets.

As the title of this specialization suggests, financial decisions by investors, as well as capital deployment by companies, organizations, and governments, have been shifting amid increasing attention to environmental, social, and governance-related concerns. By the end of this specialization, students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products (e.g., stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, commodities) should obtain a solid background on how ESG investing principles originated, and how related governing frameworks, analytical strategies, and investment products are evolving in the financial markets, including a proliferation of various fixed-income instruments and thematic ETFs. Moreover, you'll acquire insights into some of the benefits and drawbacks of Big Data as a complement to fundamental analysis, and how developments in data science, including machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and sentiment analysis algorithms, may be used for actionable accountability. You will further be able to detail why ESG investing remains a work in progress and list some anticipated developments for its future. We look forward to you joining us! For more information about Interactive Brokers, visit https://ibkr.com

ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux

Frequently Asked Questions

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