Make informed, ESG-influenced investment decisions. By the end of this specialization, students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products should be able to make more informed investment decisions against an ever-changing, ESG-influenced backdrop.

4.6

stars

33 ratings

Steven Levine

1,612 already enrolled

Offered By

ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux SpecializationInteractive Brokers

What you will learn

Describe how ESG principals originated, and how governing frameworks, strategies, and investment products are evolving in the financial markets.
Integrate ESG factors when conducting fundamental analyses and offer insights about approaches to sustainable portfolio management construction.
Analyze ESG-focused financial products such as green bonds, social bonds, and ESG-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Examine how Big Data can complement fundamental analysis, and differentiate between different forms of deceptive business practices.

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

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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

Applied Learning Project

Integrate ESG factors when conducting fundamental analyses, offer insights about approaches to sustainable portfolio management construction, and align ESG factors with organizational frameworks such as the UN's SDGs and SASB frameworks.

Perform evaluations of green assets, including bonds, ESG-themed ETFs, and certain stocks and commodities.

Demonstrate how to analyze asset valuation based on sentiment signals and ESG ratings.

Draw conclusions about ESG disclosures, as well as unresolved issues about accountability and how ESG investing is defined.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Flexible Schedule

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Beginner Level

Approximately 7 months to complete

Suggested pace of 3 hours/week

English

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 7 months to complete

Suggested pace of 3 hours/week

English

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

Try Coursera for Business

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

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How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

ESG Investing: Setting Standards & Conducting Analysis

4.5

stars

26 ratings

The ESG Investing: Setting Standards & Conducting Analysis course provides students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products with some fundamental concepts to help better define what ESG is, including the rationale behind its inception, and how it has developed. Through the series of video, webinar, and reading modules in this course, you’ll learn how to identify and describe the basic principles underpinning the “E”, “S” and “G” in ESG, as well as obtain a brief background of ESG’s origins and evolution. You should also acquire insights into certain global and domestic goals and frameworks that drive and support issuers’ ESG agendas for economic, financial, and ethical purposes, as well as learn how to examine and construct different investment strategies aligned with investment returns, such as negative/exclusionary screening and integration. You should also gain a clearer view of how businesses form their ESG strategies, as well as some of the risks they face, and how they may be mitigated.

Course2

Course 2

ESG Investing: Industry Impacts & Transformations

Through this ESG Investing: Industry Impacts & Transformations course, students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products can explore how certain financial market sectors have been transforming, amid a heightened focus on risk factors that underpin the three pillars of ESG. For example, what led age-old, iconic companies such as Borden and Dean Foods to file for bankruptcy? How are traditional oil giants BP and Exxon Mobil managing the energy transition? And what steps are firms such as International Paper and WestRock taking to align their business operations with forestry concerns? Through a series of video, webinar, and reading modules, among other objectives, you’ll learn how to conduct critical analyses about certain market sector changes, including dairy, tobacco, energy, and forest products, as well as examine the potential role for certain commodities, as industries such as the auto sector undergo transformation. You should also be able to assess the potential impacts on the creditworthiness of certain high yield companies amid shifts in ESG strategies.

Course3

Course 3

ESG-focused Financial Products

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.

Course4

Course 4

ESG Data & Accountability

4.5

stars

15 ratings

In this course, we’ll introduce students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products to data-driven resources they can use to complement their fundamental analysis. We’ll also highlight certain deceptive marketing practices that can paint a rosier picture of addressing ESG-related concerns than may actually be the case.

Moreover, many corporations appear to be growing increasingly aware of the values of the millennial generation, who, according to some industry surveys, appear to account for the vast majority of those who cite ESG as a central goal in their investment plans. We’ll dive more deeply into these topics, and through a series of video, webinar, and reading modules, among other objectives, you’ll learn to explain how Big Data and artificial intelligence may be used for actionable accountability, and describe inherent challenges in data analysis, as well as differentiate between different forms of deceptive business practices, including green washing, social washing, and pink washing, You’ll also be able to provide insights about how millennial, and younger, investors’ interests may be driving increased attention on ESG investing.

Instructor

Steven Levine

Senior Market Analyst

44,545 Learners

8 Courses

Offered by

Interactive Brokers

Industry Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
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.
Can I take the course for free?
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. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
Time to completion will vary based on your schedule, but we anticipate most learners being able to finish the material in 28 weeks.
What background knowledge is necessary?
Previous investment experience is helpful but not required. Familiarity with stocks, fixed-income products, commodities, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is recommended.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
Although you can take the courses in this Specialization in any order, we recommend that you follow the suggested sequence of courses in the syllabus.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
Coursera courses and certificates don't carry university credit, though some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
By the end of this specialization, students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products should be able to:
Describe how environmental, social and governance (ESG) principals originated, and how related governing frameworks, analytical strategies, and investment products are evolving in the financial markets.
Integrate ESG factors when conducting fundamental analyses on companies and offer insights about approaches to sustainable portfolio management construction.
List ways in which different industry sectors’ operations have shifted in the wake of increasing ESG-related concerns.
Analyze ESG-focused financial products such as green bonds, social bonds, and ESG-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Differentiate between different forms of deceptive business practices, including green washing, social washing, and pink washing.
Rationalize 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.
Provide insights about how millennials and younger investors may be driving increased attention on ESG investing.
Explain why ESG remains a work in progress and list some anticipated developments.

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ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux Specialization

What you will learn

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project