This course is part of the The Materiality of ESG Factors Specialization

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Christopher Geczy

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The Materiality of ESG Factors SpecializationUniversity of Pennsylvania

About this Course

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In this course, you will analyze the importance of assessing stakeholder interest or salience in different ESG factors and industry variances. You will also evaluate the importance of ESG factors in your investment decisions, including how you can use them to create socially responsible portfolios with better-than-average returns.  You will also examine the risks associated with ESG investing and how they can affect the corporation’s profitability.
Next, you will review the concepts of positive and negative screening and identify the ESG factors that cause investors to divest from or negatively screen certain assets. You will review ESG risks associated with climate, diversity, executive compensation, governance issues, and evaluate how corporate performance and stock prices correlate to ESG scores. You will also examine how ESG adoption could accelerate the growing trend of fossil fuel divestment, its minimal impact on returns, and what this means long term. Finally, you will analyze quantitative and qualitative measurements and explore different protocols, such as MSCI, to evaluate and provide ESG ratings that can affect stakeholder and investor interest. 

By the end of this course, you will have explored how ESG investing has grown, assessed the variety of ways it has been integrated into the market, and analyzed the complex indexing and measurement techniques employed in the ESG space today.

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Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

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Course 2 of 4 in the

The Materiality of ESG Factors Specialization

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

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 2 of 4 in the

The Materiality of ESG Factors Specialization

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.51/5 (33 Ratings)

Christopher Geczy

Adjunct Professor of Finance

Finance

66,497 Learners

5 Courses

Offered by

University of Pennsylvania

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Module 1

In this module, you will explore how an investor can use ESG factors to maximize positive returns and minimize downside risks. You will examine the significance of screening stocks with ESG factors to inform portfolio construction as well as the relative significance of positive versus negative screening. You will analyze the importance of assessing stakeholder interest or salience in different ESG factors and industry variances. Next, you will assess the importance of ESG factors in your investment decisions, including how they can be used to create socially responsible portfolios with better-than-average returns. By the end of this module, you will have identified the best methods of screening stocks to account for ESG factors, the costs associated with ESG strategies, and the importance of diversification.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 71 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Module 2

In this module, you will explore the complex relationship between ESG and the stock market, from the inclusion of companies with a large ESG profile to the exclusion of those that refuse to adopt a green agenda. You will also assess the risks associated with ESG investing, and how it can affect a company's profitability. Next, you will examine how to avoid greenwashing by measuring the impact of a corporation’s green initiatives through inclusionary screening. You will review ESG risks associated with climate, diversity, executive compensation, and governance issues, and will examine how corporate performance and stock prices correlate to ESG scores. By the end of this module, you will have differentiated between ESG exclusion and inclusion of companies, identified how to avoid greenwashing and measuring corporate social impact, and reviewed the influence of ESG risk factors on stock prices, including their relationship to ESG scores and their impact on pension plans.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 31 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Module 3

In this module, you will analyze the upward growth curve of ESG incorporation over the last 15 years as well as the main types of assets that are driving this growth. You will also review the motivating ESG factors that cause investors to divest from or negatively screen certain assets. You will also assess the way that large investment firms such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and Vanguard are engaging with ESG initiatives and making sustainability a prominent driver in their investment selections. Lastly, you will examine how ESG adoption could be accelerating the growing trend of fossil fuel divestment, its minimal impact on returns, and what this means long term. By the end of this module, you will have analyzed ESG incorporation and its driving factors, reviewed educational institution endowments’ growing ESG investment commitments, and examined the rise of fossil fuel divestment and why this matters.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 35 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week4

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Module 4

In this module, you will assess the various methods for measuring and indexing ESG factors in the investing space, the inherent challenges in calculating these values, and how to go about overcoming these challenges. You will examine how ESG indices are created, how firms can evaluate their efficacy, and how the creation of a sustainability index has made impact measurement easier to gauge. Next, you will analyze quantitative and qualitative measurements, and explore different protocols, such as MSCI, to evaluate and provide ESG ratings. Finally, you will assess the various tools that you can use to measure ESG investments and how they compare to one another. By the end of this course, you will have differentiated between how investors can use these tools to monitor ESG practices and build indexes that better align with their values.

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 44 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM ESG IMPACT: INVESTOR PERSPECTIVE

by AWMar 5, 2022

This was a great refresher on how to use sustainability as a competetive advantage

by PJun 15, 2022

Great course! Prof. Geczy has explained the concepts using many examples, making it interesting and easy.

by THSep 21, 2022

Excelent explanations, the professor is amazing. They also always provide the source of presented data.

by MBFeb 19, 2023

Excellent content on ESG investing in publicly held companies

View all reviews

About the The Materiality of ESG Factors Specialization

This specialization will provide learners with the fundamentals and history of ESG investing, and a close examination of the set of investment approaches that are informed by environmental, social and, governance factors. You'll about the five pathways of materiality, and how those interplay with or against ESG performance. You'll review the concepts of positive and negative screening and identify the ESG factors that cause investors to divest from or negatively screen certain assets.

Next, you'll review private environmental governance, the active role that private companies are playing in combating climate change, and the parallels between the public and private sectors. Lastly, you'll evaluate the effectiveness of corporate authenticity and the impacts of politics when building corporate ESG policy, and the importance of creating independent Directors to maintain neutrality and protect stakeholder interests. By the end of this specialization, you will know the best practices for creating a solid risk management plan, analyzed the complex indexing and measurement techniques employed in the ESG space, examined climate disclosures and implementation of climate solutions, and how social activism affects the corporate world in the 21st century.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

ESG Impact: Investor Perspective

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