Certification Programs

Disclaimer: Per your organizational membership, fees may be covered, please reference membership. In the event fees are not covered under your organization please see individual registration cost below.

National ESG Certification Programs is designed to train professionals in the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Sustainability. These certification programs are intended to equip professionals with the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to effectively integrate ESG considerations into their work.

The Certification Programs is composed of three levels of certification: certified professional, senior certified professional, and executive certified professional. Each level builds on the previous one, with increasing levels of expertise and specialization.

Overall, National ESG certification programs aim to promote the adoption of sustainable practices across all industries and sectors. They provide a framework for professionals to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively integrate ESG considerations into their organizations and contribute to a more sustainable future.

One does not have to participate in CP before they do ECP. To take SCP & ECP, it is for the Director or above.

The Certified Professional level is typically the entry-level certification, designed for professionals who are new to the ESG field. It provides a foundational understanding of ESG principles and practices.

NESG CP (Certified Professional) - 2 & half day's

Learning Objective:

Learn how to effectively integrate ESG initiatives, how to invest utilizing the ideas, and how to optimize your organization using environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations. Examine the foundation of ESG and its positive influence.

Understand: Show fundamental understanding of ESG ideas, elements, and efforts, as well as their benefits and drawbacks.

Describe the fundamental ideas behind ESG variables, their effects on investor and company portfolios, and the people and resources required for integration and optimization.

Module 1: Introduction - Origin of ESG

Shareholders
Stakeholders
How is ESG Beneficial

Module 2: Environmental Factors

Definition
Importance and proper use of Environmental factors within organizations
Risk

Module 3: Social Factors

Definition
Importance and proper use of Social factors within organizations
Risk

Module 4: Governance Factors

Definition
Importance and proper use of Governance factors within organizations
Risk

Module 5: Engagement and stewardship

Purpose of investors engagement and stewardship
Explore the benefits and its relationship with fiduciary duty E
Explain the main principles and requirements of Stewardship Codes
- U.S. ERISA Act guidelines

Module 6: ESG Investing vs. Sustainable Investing

Explores the pillars of ESG Investing and Sustainable investing, key differences and best practices.

Module 7: ESG Credentialing vs. CFA (Certified Financial Analyst)

CFA is a professional certification awarded by the CFA Institute, the largest global association of investment professionals.

Module 8: Integrating ESG in Investment / Portfolio Allocation

Analyze key data/ metrics from organizations and explore proper business strategies to incorporate ESG into company initiatives

Module 9: ESG Optimization

Enlist advisory services, disclosure analyses, creation of action plans and training packages to ensure organizations and employees improve their performance and compliance,
Explore mitigating operational and reputational risks.

The Senior Certified Professional level is designed for professionals who have more experience in the field and are seeking to deepen their knowledge and expertise. This level covers more advanced topics such as ESG risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability reporting.

NESG SP (Senior Professional) - 1 & half day's / Leadership

Learning Objective: Examine the benefits, integration approaches, investment possibilities, and projects, as well as the guiding principles of ESG. Identify the tactics upper management should think about adopting to make ESG principles part of daily operations. To adopt ESG, senior leadership must demonstrate a comprehensive comprehension of ESG concepts, components, and leadership philosophies. Outline the core concepts of ESG, including their impact on management, staff, and investors, and the skills and qualities essential for successful leadership. Module 1: Contextualization

Who Are the ESG Actors, What Are They Interested In
Who Are the Shareholders and
What Is the Value of ESG and How It Can Help You

Module 2: Factors in the Environment: A Review

What It Is
Why It Matters
How to Use It Effectively Inside Organizations
The Dangers

Module 3: A Look Back at Social Factors

Examining the Role of Social Factors in Organizations
Managing the Related Contingencies

Module 4: Governance Factors Reexamined

Importance of effective application inside businesses
Analyzing variables connected to potential dangers
Definitions clarified

Module 5: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investment vs. Sustainable Investing

Examines the Foundations of ESG and Sustainable Investing, Key Differences, and Best Practices

Module 6: Allocating Investments and Portfolios Taking ESG Into Account

Incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into organizational projects by analyzing crucial data/metrics from firms and investigating appropriate business strategies.

Module 7: ESG-related disclosures are reliability

Ensure / encourage management’s confidence that the organizations ESG disclosure controls and procedures are effective as they relate to the metrics and reporting.

Module 8: ESG Leadership

Explore ESG Investing implementation through the lens of management and senior leaders.
Ability to engage key leaders, adeptness at cross-organizational collaboration, and expertise that extends well beyond functional silos.
A leader's four main duties are as follows:
1. Create an ESG framework and set of principles that can be implemented company wide.
2. Integrating ESG policy across the firm ensures cohesion in both communication and implementation across the company's various business lines and investment strategies.
3. Represent the organization as its "Brand Ambassador," both internally and publicly, by detailing how ESG factors into every facet of the business and investing approach.
4. Cooperate with third parties to improve the long-term viability of their businesses (supply chain, operating partners, portfolio companies).

Module 9: Leadership & ESG Post COVID

New sense of urgency to build more inclusive and fairer economies, as well as address societal gaps & dipartites.
Keen focus on corporate / organizational commitment on ESG
Private owned & small businesses are no longer exempt from pressure to meet stakeholder expectations.
Standards and discourses are evoling.
Increase transparency, regain visibility by resharing your ESG story.

What enduring legacy would you like to leave for the organization's, society's, and the planet's future? Examining a compelling "why" will aid in forming discussions and plans regarding the "what" and "how." - Lisa Schmidt, Worksphere

Schmidt, L. (n.d.). Lisa Schmidt - Principal, Worksphere Consulting - The Tom and Bob Show | iHeart. iHeart. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-tom-and-bob-show-63481265/episode/lisa-schmidt-principal-worksphere-consulting-83976051/

A visioning exercise can assist leaders in articulating and contextualizing their perspective on ESG inside the organization. Then, have a brainstorming session to create a shared vision and determine what kind of procedures, personnel, rules, cultures, and technology would be required to implement it. - Rittu Sinha, The Balanced Bandwagon

The Executive Certified Professional level is the highest level of certification and is intended for leaders who are responsible for driving ESG strategy within their organizations. This level focuses on strategic leadership, governance, and stakeholder engagement, as well as advanced sustainability reporting and analysis.

NESG EP (Executive Professional) - 1 & half day’s

Learning Objectives:

Master the ESG framework by delving into its underlying principles and components, executive mandates, and board supervision. examines environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns from the viewpoint of accounting, performance, risk management, and investments.

Recognize correctly executed systems and initiatives, demonstrate to the board and C-suite that you value and comprehend environmental, social, and governance concerns. Describe the obligations of independent auditors, the way funds are invested and disbursed, and the role that ESG plays in risk management.

Develop strategies in accordance with fundamental ESG tenets, including input from the C-suite and approval from the board. Establish metrics for success, and outline strategies for managing finances and running operations. Describe how ESG factors can be incorporated into a risk management plan.

Module 1: Overview: The Evolution of ESG

Impact of Shareholders and Stakeholders
What are the Advantages of ESG?

Module 2: Recap of Environmental Consideration

Master understanding of term
The significance of environmental factors in organizations
How they should be used
The potential dangers involved.

Module 3: Review of Social Factors

Definition, Significance of Social Factors in Organization
Proper Application of Social Factors in Organizations
Liabilities

Module 4: Recapitalization of Governance Factors

What They Are
Why They're Important
How to Use Them Effectively Inside Organizations
What Risks

Module 5: Evolving the taxonomy of ESG

Exploring the current challenge organization have with multiple frameworks of definitions and options that need to be traversed for the company to have effective measurement of the progress of its ESG strategy.

Module 6: Comparing ESG and Sustainable Investment

Compares and contrasts ESG and sustainable investing, focusing on the fundamental distinctions between the two and the best practices for each.

Module 7: Applying ESG Principles to Investing Decisions and Portfolio Management

To properly incorporate ESG into company activities, businesses should evaluate critical data/ indicators from enterprises and investigate appropriate business strategies.

Module 8: ESG driven through the C-Suite

Explore ESG Investing implementation through the lens of management and senior leaders.

Module 9: Board Oversight

Ensure Board has processes to ESG strategy and structure with the focus of long-term value.

Module 10: Should an independent auditor have a role in your organization's ESG reporting?

Auditors’ valuable role in verifying the accuracy and reliability
Identify areas where an organization's ESG reporting can be improved and provide recommendations for best practices
Transparency and accountability

Module 11: Accountabilities set for ESG-related performance

Performance and metrics are built in cohesion with incentive compensation plans that drive progress and establish accountability for results. Executive sponsorship of ESG initiatives is an imperative. Financial and operations performance monitoring

Module 12: Risk management

Address one's current risk management processes, do they take account of ESG risks?