The International Institute for Climate Action (IICA) based in Zagreb, in cooperation with the international academic institution for online learning “Exponential Education”, presents the first internationally recognized education for ESG experts and certificates in sustainable finance and business since 2021 under the name:

International Sustainable Finance ISF® and International Sustainable Business ISB®

The education is unique and comprehensive in order to provide needed knowledge in ESG (environmental, social and governance criteria), including the climate criteria. More than 100 professors from all over the world participated in the preparation of the curriculum, including three Nobel laureates.

The most reputable institutions in the world that create policies for sustainable development and climate change, as well as financial and management operations and criteria:
UN-FAO, UNFCCC, UNEP (UN Environment Programme), UN-IFAD, UN – WOMEN, GREEN CLIMATE FUND, World Bank and many others have shown their support and trust in this educational curriculum.

The education consists of three levels and is meant for the acquisition of titles:

SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER
AND
CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER

The first level represents the basis for all criteria and is intended for EVERYONE:

• students
• state and local government employees
• employees in corporations and other institutions

The second level follows the first and is intended for:

• professionals working on reporting within companies and other institutions
• middle-level management bodies within corporations, along with state and public administration

Only after passing the first and second levels does the candidate acquire the title of SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER

The third level follows the previous two and is intended for:

• management level employees in corporations
• government bodies and civil services
• banks and other organizations
• consultants that advise companies and build business plans and strategies that have to include ESG criteria
• personnel in charge of controlling the reports and making decisions at the highest level

If the first and second levels have been passed and the third level has been successfully completed, the candidate acquires the title of CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER

NEW EDUCATION

Education for CEOs and government officials

This education introduces the fundamental concepts that connect finance and other corporate aspects to sustainability, ESG factors, and climate change, and enables executives and government officials to exploit the fundamentals of ESG in order to create opportunities for sustainable growth, while also providing sufficient knowledge in the field of ESG.

The aforementioned education is provided online and lasts 12 hours, divided into eight sessions.

Education is intended for:

• CEOs and senior executives with no prior ESG expertise
• senior government officials who want to start sustainability training within their respective areas of responsibility
• companies subject to certain sustainability laws that have previously been put in place for a defined ESG plan and approach
• companies who participate in public procurement tenders and are unable to identify from the specifications those features that can benefit them
• individuals who want to get an understanding of current sustainability trends and anticipate expected, more stringent regulation adjustments

WHY ESG EDUCATION?

The Paris Agreement established the goals of reducing CO2 emissions and outlined the transition to a low-carbon economy, i.e., sustainable economic development for the entire world. In addition, the strengthening of the capacity of states to fight the consequences of climate change was determined, with education at the global and national level certainly being one of them.
The instruments for the transition to a sustainable economy are the so-called ESG criteria, whose introduction will soon become mandatory for corporations and their managers.

Integration of ESG criteria will contribute to transparent and ethical business in the broadest sense and in all segments of the company.

Mandatory disclosures of data related to sustainability in the financial services sector are prescribed primarily by the SFDR Regulation, entered into force on December 29, 2019, and, to a lesser extent, by the Taxonomy Regulation, entered into force previously with its amendments, which are expected to enter into force on January 1, 2023.
The goal of these announcements is to enable and facilitate end investors in making informed investment decisions, as well as to prevent “greenwashing.”

Businesses with a higher return on investment and better access to cheaper sources of financing are not achieved by companies that continue the traditional way of managing their own resources, but by those that recognize this moment, face challenges, and start implementing the necessary processes to achieve ESG goals.

More information is available on the platform: www.iica-esg.com