Banks, Boards and Senior Executives have now wholly accepted the importance of ESG issues as an urgent organisational imperative. Banks know they must move from making ESG pledges, to taking sustainable action. As the world seeks to address climate change and environmental threats, assurance of the sustainability of the bank, including how Boards and Senior Executives are leading the transition to a lower carbon economy, is crucial.

Customers, governments, regulators, investor groups and key stakeholders are pushing harder for bank governing bodies and Senior Executives to now embrace complex ESG concepts, respond to new ESG reporting and regulatory requirements, and demonstrate that they are managing ESG related risks.

Banks must ensure their business models are adapted and sustainable. They must also be able to assess the ESG credentials of their clients as a key criterion in new lending decisions and portfolio strategy; aligning their financing strategies with the goals and timelines of the Paris Agreement. This must all be managed under an effective risk governance framework. This course will be a catalyst for bank leaders to transform their mindset; it will help bank leaders to meet their ESG and climate change challenges.

Course Objectives

On completion, you will be able to:

• Understand ESG, sustainability and climate change concepts
• International and local standards, requirements and laws
• ESG related financial disclosure reporting requirements
• Develop a balanced portfolio of ESG policies and strategies
• Reassess the expectations of bank shareholders and private investors, and assess risks and new opportunities around raising capital for sustainable investment
• Lead the dialogue with clients around green transition plans
• Manage ESG risk through an enhanced risk framework
• Undertake reviews of bank governance and Exec Team effectiveness

Key Topics

• ESG implications for banks: compliance, standards, reporting requirements, strategic re-assessment, business risk and opportunities
• Task force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) – key tenets and implications for banks
• Understanding ESG stakeholder perspectives
• Understanding the bank’s exposure to environmental, physical climate, social, societal and transition risks
• Driving the green transition
• Leading key client engagement around ESG transition plans
• Adapting risk governance and integrated assurance frameworks for ESG and climate risk
• Assessing team performance and adapting competency frameworks to meet ESG criteria

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.