CFA ESG is a certificate offered by the CFA Institute, designed for aspiring investment professionals interested in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing. While ESG was once a popular term that advocated for environmental, social, and governance concerns in all business areas, its popularity has waned due to concerns over actual financial returns and populist backlash. Personally, I have concerns about ESG investing producing alpha relative to the market index, and the volatility of green energy stocks puzzles me. That being said, I believe ESG investing is not a bad idea per se, but I will leave that discussion for later.
This article will focus solely on the CFA ESG certificate itself. I believe there are several types of people for whom this certificate is suitable:
- Those living in Hong Kong (HKSAR government offers a substantial subsidy for those studying ESG-related courses).
- Finance students seeking to strengthen their CV.
- Finance professionals looking to enhance their CV.
- Individuals aiming to pivot their careers toward ESG.
The certificate is not cheap. It costs 865 USD now, and the CFA Institute will continue to raise the fee annually. Therefore, the Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity…