Climate change presents a risk to the global economy and consequently the finance sector. However, it also presents an opportunity for innovative financing to increase the economic and social resilience to climate impacts. As facilitators of the economy, financial institutions have a central role in the transformation to low carbon and climate-resilient development. Their responsibility is twofold: greening their portfolios towards Paris compatible financing and investments, and reflecting and integrating climate-related risks into their risk management processes. This gradual process involves harmonizing short-term business cycles and investment horizons with systemic and long-term thinking by all actors from the financial sector (e.g. banks, asset managers, insurers, pension funds, investment consultants, regulators, rating agencies). This process is supported by public actors who moderate the structural change required for a transition to climate-resilient economies. This course provides the basics of finance and investment for assessing the financial viability of investments in adaptation projects. It clusters business models to provide an understanding of the parameters according to the project scale and, for example, revenue models, ownership structure, and value proposition, and will link to the financing perspective. Different investors and intermediaries have very different investment strategies, levels of risk appetite, return expectations, and investment horizons. Crowding in the right investor for a project is essential to ensure their long-term involvement and the required scale-up of investment volumes.

Reflecting sustainability criteria, especially climate change, in financial markets is increasingly gaining attention as opportunities and risks arising in this context are changing business practices. The course will prepare participants to understand major drivers and constraints of transforming the financial system into a more sustainable one. Furthermore, it will familiarize participants with the business, regulatory, and technical perspective of sustainable finance and will acquaint them to take an active part in the discussion around the topic. The course aims to enable financial professionals to integrate Sustainable Finance related aspects into their work through new knowledge and tools for advising their clients and business partners.

Improved access to finance plays a significant role in the transformation of the food and agriculture sector. Farmers and agribusinesses need loans, insurance, leasing, and many other financial services to become more sustainable. Financial institutions seek qualified employees who understand the financial needs and dynamics in agricultural value chains.

This e-learning course is developed and implemented jointly with the Frankfurt School - UNEP Collaborating Cente. The Paris Agreement marks the beginning of a new era with the focus shifting from finding a consensus on the common goals to realizing jointly agreed goals. “Making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development” (Article 2 c of the Paris Agreement) will require a significant increase in funding – with new instruments and approaches required to mobilize a broad range of investors and to achieve scalability in financing climate action. Financing the global energy transition will be one key building block. Decreasing prices for renewables combined with increasing regulatory risk for traditional fossil fuels make Renewable Energy (RE) more competitive and attractive for commercial investors.

Environment Social and Governance criteria (ESG) and Impact Investing have gained a lot of traction in recent years and will continue to do so in the (post-) Corona world. Calls for a green and socially equitable re-start are very prominent. The EU’s Green New Deal (“Green Deal”) and the UN`s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are good examples of how ESG criteria and ideas of Impact Investing are being incorporated into policy objectives. International development agencies have embraced ESG and impact criteria to guide investment decisions, as have many family offices, investment vehicles, and other institutional players, ranging from foundations and philanthropists to the private sector. ESG and Impact Investing are approaches to finance that are related to each other, although they may occupy different ends of the spectrum in terms of methodological intensity or operational mindset.

The certificate course Energy Policy and Economic Framework is also offered as a module as part of the MBA Renewables online study program. This executive online program provides a comprehensive understanding of various aspects related to energy policy and focuses on the transition to a green energy industry.

Corporate Governance is the system by which organizations are directed and controlled. It involves regulatory and market mechanisms, the relationships between an entity’s management, its board, its shareholders, and other stakeholders, as well as the goals for which the entity is governed. Corporate Governance, therefore, is about strategy as well as Risk Management. Compliance is a core function within a broader definition of risk management and control. Governance, Risk, and Compliance are very closely intertwined and are best presented in an integrated format in order to give business leaders the readily applicable tools to succeed.

Biodiversity underpins life on Earth. Healthy ecosystems provide ecosystem services essential to human well-being and economic activities. Scientists estimate that one million of the world’s estimated 8 million species of plants and animals are on the verge of extinction, and this could curtail our ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

The Certified Expert in Climate Risk Management course is designed to equip financial sector professionals with the analytical tools to identify, measure, and manage climate-related risks effectively. Over the course of six months, this online certification program delivers a comprehensive understanding of climate risk management, combining theoretical concepts with practical solutions to prepare participants for the challenges of accelerating climate change.

Specialise in a particular topic of solar energy to broaden your expertise and boost your career opportunities without disrupting work or family life. With an accredited Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS), you earn a joint degree from two prestigious institutions: the University of Freiburg and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE.

The Wind Energy Systems (WES.online) Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) allow you to specialize in different aspects of wind energy. Each of them exists of five carefully selected modules that will teach you exactly that knowledge which you need to achieve your goal. All modules are part of our master's program Online M.Sc. Wind Energy Systems which was designed for natural scientists and engineers who want to become part of the wind energy industry.