The Sustainable Corporate Finance course equips learners with the skills to integrate sustainability into financial strategies and models, driving long-term value for businesses and stakeholders. Participants will learn how to align financial decisions with sustainability goals and regulations, gaining practical insights through case studies and expert industry guidance.
This course is tailored for finance students, finance professionals, and anyone with a strong interest in sustainable finance. While no specific prior knowledge is required, some familiarity with corporate finance is desirable to fully grasp the topics discussed. Completing the Principles of Sustainable Finance course offered by Erasmus University Rotterdam is also highly recommended, as it provides essential context and foundational concepts to deepen your understanding of this course.
Welcome to the Sustainable Corporate Finance course!
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
1 video•Total 5 minutes
Trailer•5 minutes
2 readings•Total 13 minutes
Welcome to the course•3 minutes
Meet the instructors•10 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Meet the learners•10 minutes
The Company within Social and Planetary Boundaries
Module 2•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you’ll learn about the planetary boundaries, social foundations, SDGs, and explore the integrated model—a new way of thinking beyond the shareholder and stakeholder models. You'll discover how this model solves governance challenges and works in practice. Let’s dive in!
What's included
4 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 36 minutes
Planetary Boundaries and Social Foundations - SDGs•9 minutes
The Integrated Model•6 minutes
Corporate Governance Models I•10 minutes
Corporate Governance Models II•12 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Quiz 1•15 minutes
Integrated Value Creation
Module 3•1 hour to complete
Module details
Building on the previous module’s focus on social and planetary boundaries, this module shows how companies can create value through sustainability. You’ll learn how integrating purpose, strategy, and business models leads to long-term value for both the business and society. As sustainability transitions reshape industries, you’ll see how companies can adapt and thrive.
What's included
4 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 30 minutes
Basics of Integrated Value Creation•6 minutes
Quantifying Integrated Value Creation•6 minutes
Where Does Value Come From? Purpose, Strategy, and Business models•8 minutes
Transition and Steering on Integrated Value•11 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Quiz 2•15 minutes
Discount Rates and Value Calculation
Module 4•1 hour to complete
Module details
You will discover how companies use financial discounting to evaluate whether projects are worth pursuing. Sustainability and integrated value are essential for long-term success, but how do you factor in the social and environmental impacts of projects when making financial decisions? This module shows you how to use discount rates to consider financial, social and environmental costs.
What's included
5 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 58 minutes
Discounting Financial Value•19 minutes
Discounting Social, Environmental, and Integrated Capital•12 minutes
Basics of Value Calculation•10 minutes
Material Social and Environmental Factors•7 minutes
Quantifying and Monetising Social and Environmental Impact •9 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
Quiz 3•10 minutes
Investment Decisions
Module 5•2 hours to complete
Module details
You learned how to factor social and environmental impacts into financial decisions. Now, this module takes you a step further into how those ideas come to life in investment choices. You’ll explore how to adapt traditional capital budgeting to account for sustainability and how corporate governance can steer these decisions. This module equips you with the knowledge of how firms can make investment decisions that are financially smart and aligned with long-term, sustainable value.
What's included
5 videos2 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 60 minutes
Integrated Investment Decision Rules•7 minutes
Conventional Capital Budgeting•29 minutes
Integrated Capital Budgeting•5 minutes
Internalisation•4 minutes
Key Role for Corporate Governance•15 minutes
2 readings•Total 15 minutes
Conventional Investment Decision Rules•10 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Quiz 4•15 minutes
Valuing Bonds and Equity
Module 6•2 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on how sustainability influences bond and equity markets. Here, you'll go deeper into how sustainability factors are integrated into bond pricing, equity valuation, and the broader financial system. This module adds a critical layer to your knowledge by showing you how traditional financial tools, like interest rates and credit ratings, can be adapted to reflect long-term value through a sustainability lens.
What's included
4 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 74 minutes
Bond Types, Pricing and Interest Rates•17 minutes
Basics of Public Equity and Valuation Methods•17 minutes
Integrating Sustainability Into Bond and Equity Valuation I•24 minutes
Integrating Sustainability Into Bond and Equity Valuation II•15 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Quiz 5•15 minutes
Integrated Value Case Study
Module 7•1 hour to complete
Module details
You’ll apply integrated valuation to a real-world case study—Inditex. Learn to analyze a company’s business model, tackle transition challenges, and calculate its integrated value, considering social and environmental impacts. This module highlights the real-world implications of impact reporting and helps you bridge the gap between theory and practice.
What's included
3 videos1 reading
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 25 minutes
Case-study Inditex: Business Model and Transition Challenges•6 minutes
Valuing F, S, & E + Integrated Valuation of Inditex•10 minutes
Reflection on Reporting Implications •10 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Optional reading material•10 minutes
Risk-Return Analysis and Cost of Capital
Module 8•2 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on financial tools to assess risks and returns with a sustainability perspective. Learn to consider social, environmental, and financial risks for better, future-focused investment decisions. Explore the true cost of different types of capital and understand how sustainability shapes risk analysis and influences a company’s financial strategy.
What's included
6 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 93 minutes
Financial Risk and Return; Portfolio Theory•42 minutes
Integrating Sustainability into Risk-Return Analysis•14 minutes
Integrated Risk-Return Analysis and Forward-Looking Risk•10 minutes
Applying Integrated Risk-Return Analysis in Practice•11 minutes
Cost of Financial Capital•10 minutes
Cost of Social, Environmental and Integrated Capital•7 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Quiz 6•15 minutes
Capital Markets
Module 9•1 hour to complete
Module details
You’ll expand your focus from firms to the broader market perspective, applying your sustainability knowledge to capital markets. You’ll learn how investor behavior affects market dynamics and explore adaptive market theory and impact investing, where financial returns meet positive social and environmental outcomes. This module connects sustainability with market performance, providing crucial context for the markets in which firms operate.
What's included
3 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 55 minutes
Efficient Markets and Investor Behaviour•24 minutes
Adaptive Markets and Sustainability Integration•11 minutes
Impact Investing•20 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Quiz 7•15 minutes
Capital Structure
Module 10•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you’ll learn about financial capital structure – how it affects payouts and shareholder value, how it is influenced by social and environmental factors and how to integrate these considerations into a company’s financial strategy. Building on Module 9’s capital markets and impact investing, the following lessons connect the external market dynamics with internal financial structures, helping you discover how sustainability factors can shape both market performance and company decisions.
What's included
5 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 87 minutes
Financial Capital Structure•29 minutes
Payouts - Changes in Financial Capital Structure•39 minutes
Social and Environmental Impact on Capital Structure•7 minutes
Social and Environmental Capital and Integrated Capital Structure I•5 minutes
Social and Environmental Capital and Integrated Capital Structure II•6 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Quiz 8•15 minutes
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)
Module 11•1 hour to complete
Module details
You’ll review the basics of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and their valuation methods. You’ll see how social and environmental factors play a crucial role in the M&A process and due diligence. The module highlights the value of integrating these factors into deal assessments, using a real-world case study—Kraft Heinz and Unilever—to show how sustainability can drive better M&A outcomes.
What's included
4 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 45 minutes
M&A Basics and Valuation•19 minutes
Social and Environmental Impact on M&A and Due Diligence•7 minutes
Social and Environmental Valuation of M&A •9 minutes
Integrated M&A Valuation + Kraft Heinz-Unilever Case Study•9 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Optional reading material•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Quiz 9•15 minutes
Closing
Module 12•1 hour to complete
Module details
Wrap up your journey with this final module! Reflect on the key takeaways from the course and explore future trends in sustainable corporate finance. Watch three insightful videos featuring conversations between the main course instructor and experts from industry and academia. Discover how sustainable finance is transforming corporate practices and strategies, highlighting the growing importance of these skills and knowledge for future professionals.
What's included
3 videos1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 27 minutes
Corporate Finance for Modern Companies•8 minutes
Student Perspective•6 minutes
Business Strategy•14 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Review your learning journey•10 minutes
Instructors
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Erasmus University: a top-100 ranked international research university based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Our academic teaching and research focuses on four areas: health, wealth, culture and governance.
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To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. 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 purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
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.