Singapore Green Finance Centre Launches Sustainable Finance Programme to develop talent and enhance sustainability capabilities in the finance sector

Published on 5 December 2022

Singapore, 5 December (Monday), 2022 – The Singapore Green Finance Centre (SGFC), an initiative of Singapore Management University (SMU) and Imperial College London, whose partners include Bank of China, BNP Paribas, Fullerton Fund Management, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Schroders, SMBC, Standard Chartered, and UBS, will be launching the first of a series of courses to help finance industry professionals upskill in the area of sustainability and sustainable finance. This series of courses will take reference from the Sustainable Finance Technical Skills and Competencies (SF TSCs) developed by the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBF) and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

As part of the Skills Framework for Financial Services, the 12 SF TSCs will allow professionals to reskill, upskill and advance into sustainability roles within the financial sector. By plugging this skills gap, financial institutions (FIs) will be able to enhance their sustainability related offerings and services.

The SGFC’s first course, ‘Climate Change Management’ (commencing on 12 January 2023) will be instructed by SMU Associate Professor of Urban Climate, Winston Chow. Assoc Prof Chow is the author of over 22 academic journal articles on climate change and a contributor in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). More details on the course and registration of interest can be done here.

All courses in the SGFC programme will be IBF accredited and conducted asynchronously to enable working adults to learn at their own pace and convenience. Course subsidies are available under the IBF Standards Training Scheme (IBF-STS) for self-sponsored individuals and FI/FinTech Firm-sponsored individuals.

Director of SMU’s Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics; Co-Director of the SGFC; Professor of Finance (Practice), Dave Fernandez said, “To become a global green finance centre, Singapore must quickly build a deep talent pool in sustainable finance. The SGFC is working towards this transformational change by developing a community able to create impact in the field. This ‘Climate Change Management’ course is the first of many that we will be rolling out. Industry support for SGFC has been strong since it was set up, so we are certain that our academically rigorous courses are in sync with what finance practitioners need to lead in the area of sustainable finance.”

Michael Wilkins, Professor of Practice and Executive Director of Imperial College Business School’s Centre for Climate Finance & Investment, and Co-Director of the SGFC, added: “Imperial College is committed to lending its considerable expertise and academic knowledge in climate and sustainable finance into expanding the SGFC’s capabilities through an accredited executive education programme in Singapore. We believe financial institutions will benefit from a practical and industry-relevant curriculum delving into topics such as carbon markets, sustainable finance instruments and sustainability reporting among others.”

Chief Sustainability Officer and Assistant Managing Director (Development and International), MAS, Ms Gillian Tan said, “A robust sustainable finance research and talent ecosystem is a critical enabler in supporting Asia’s transition to a low carbon future. The SGFC has been an important part of this ecosystem, bringing together two leading academic institutions to grow Asia-focused research and training in Sustainable Finance. By tapping on SGFC’s new series of courses, which will be accredited by the Institute of Banking and Finance, financial sector professionals can acquire the skills needed to thrive in the growing sustainable finance space.”