Amidst the urgent response to environmental threats, banks, as financiers, are expected to play a pivotal role in the transition to a lower carbon economy.
Banks are now expected to demonstrate how they are managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) related risks through their funding activities. They must also show that they are responding positively to emerging opportunities to add long-term value that satisfies all stakeholders and contributes to national and international Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Not only are banks expected to align their financing with the goals and timelines of the Paris Agreement, but investors are increasingly expecting banks to transform their lending strategy and drive their clients’ green transition plans. Only banks that do so will be able to maintain and strengthen their credibility and secure new long-term investment.
As their risk management and sustainability strategies become increasingly complex, banks must now work closely with their credit clients to develop strategic – and sector specific – approaches to migrating their client’s business operations to environmentally friendly and lower carbon models. For executives responsible for managing client businesses and for creating lending policies and strategies and making decisions, this is now a key imperative.
This course explores the practical steps required to transform bank lending and influence clients transition plans. It will also examine climate-related financial disclosure and transparency initiatives and obligations facing banks and their customers. Delegates will draw upon on case studies to help highlight and illustrate key ESG risks and opportunities, and bank lending and underwriting decisions.

Course Participants
This course is for bank executives and decision makers responsible for taking client business forward towards sustainable performance.
Potential participants may include:
– Risk managers, Credit analysts and Relationship Managers
– Sustainability managers, Strategists and Marketing directors
– Treasury managers, Asset-Liability Committee (ALCO) members and Legal Counsels

Course Objectives

On completion, you will be able to:

• Understand ESG, sustainability and climate change concepts and global drivers
• Outline international and local standards, requirements and laws, and their impact on banks
• Meet ESG and climate-related financial disclosure reporting requirements
• Conduct robust sectoral analysis to inform credit and investment portfolio strategy, to mitigate risks and deliver sustainable environmental and societal impact
• Review the status of a client’s ESG credentials and green transition plans against bank requirements and expectations
• Engage in a strategic dialogue with clients to influence their ESG and Green ambitions
• Actively pursue Green and Climate finance opportunities in existing and new business sectors
• Deliver ESG reporting to recognised and emerging standards, including the latest climate-related financial disclosure requirements

Key Topics

• ESG, Sustainability and Climate Change - drivers, context, implications, goals, and definitions
• Task force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) – key tenets and implications for banks
• Implications for banks: ethics, compliance, standards, reporting requirements, bank stakeholder expectations, and bank partnership initiatives for peer learning
• Lending portfolio strategies – sector assessment, risk and opportunities, and medium-term viability
• Examining physical climate risk
• Credit and project finance appraisal incorporating ESG/Green criteria and other risks
• Assessing migration plans to lower carbon business models, supply chain resilience and circular economy initiatives
• Managing transition risks: policy changes, legal, technology, market
• Climate change transition in practice, including decreasing funding to carbon intensive enterprises, using green loans and Green Bonds and working with multi-laterals
• Managing client relationships and dialogue around green transition plans

All courses will be conducted entirely in English. A proficient level of both spoken and written English is required by all delegates so that they are able to fully benefit from the course and participate in our interactive style of training.