In a nutshell

This course provides an introduction to Green Finance. It aims to give participants an understanding of what Green Finance is, why it matters for investors and policy makers, and key factors in shaping future developments. It does not require any prior knowledge of economics or financial markets.

Course structure and content

The course begins with an overview of individual participation in financial markets – from loans and mortgages, to savings, investments and pensions. The role of financial markets (banks and non-banks such as insurers and pension funds) in mediating savings and investments across the economy and globally is discussed, with reference to key financial products and terminology.

The course then explains what it means to ‘green’ financial markets – where financial products and their returns are linked to environmental projects, and how environmental factors are changing risk disclosures. It introduces the rapidly expanding lexicon of Green Bonds, Green Indices, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), and stranded assets among others.

The course then introduces the main players involved in Green Finance, from stock exchanges to accounting bodies to central banks to government. Particular attention is given to the role of government in shaping these markets, through policy targets, standards, accountability and transparency.

The course concludes by presenting some of the challenges that need to be addressed to mainstream green finance.

Who is it for?

The course is designed for anyone who is interested in understanding what contribution financial markets could make to achieve environmental targets such as "net zero".

It will also provide a solid foundation to understand some of the key concepts to be discussed at COP26, the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow in November this year.

The course could thus be of particular interest to those working on environmental issues in government, think tanks, NGOs or the media.

The course introduces relevant economic and finance concepts such as intertemporal consumption, market structure, risk-adjusted returns or yield curves but does not require prior knowledge of economics or finance theory.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course participants will:

• understand how financial markets function, how they interact with the real economy and what role they can play in ‘greening’ the economy;
• know who the main stakeholders are in this area from governments, asset managers to market platforms;
• be familiar with key terminology and concepts, such as stranded assets, Green Bonds, UN Sustainable Development Goals, climate-related financial disclosures, ESG Investing, financial stability risks, green washing and risk-adjusted returns; and
• have a sense of what challenges will have to be addressed to make green finance truly mainstream.

Course delivery

The course is delivered fully online. It will be presented by Catherine Connolly from economicsense and is highly interactive with whiteboards, chats, Q&A and surveys. A copy of the slides will be circulated after the course.

There is no need to download any apps or software as the course is delivered through a web-based application - you only need to click on a web link. Full joining instructions will be sent ahead of the course.

Price

The price of £180 includes £30 of VAT. Your invoice will state the VAT paid and Economicsense Ltd's VAT Registration Number of 376550278.

The tutor

Catherine Connolly is the founder of economicsense, a specialist economics training provider. Catherine is also on the Council of the Society of Professional Economists, and teaches policy economics at Leeds University.

Since establishing economicsense in 2018, Catherine has taught hundreds of professionals in government ministries, corporates and regulators across the UK, delivering both online and in direct training sessions. Catherine has also provided technical assistance to international economic institutions.

Prior to setting up economicsense, Catherine was in the British Civil Service where she was a member of the Government Economic Service and the Senior Civil Service. She worked at HM Treasury, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and at the former Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). She has also worked for Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, the New Zealand Treasury and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. In these roles Catherine worked on a wide range of economic topics covering macroeconomic forecasting, globalisation, monetary policy and cost-benefit analysis, the latter including working on the 2018 edition of HM Treasury’s Green Book.

Catherine studied at Otago University in New Zealand, where she gained a post-graduate honours degree, specialising in macro-economics.

Further information

Please feel free to contact us directly for more information.

Telephone: +44 7910 384755

Website: www.economicsense.co.uk

Email: info@economicsense.co.uk