Your gateway to becoming an ESG and sustainability professional

  1. Are you interested in supporting the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and other international and national priorities but you did not know where to start?
  2. Have you ever been interested in the Environment, Social, Gender/Governance (ESG) and sustainability matters but you do not know where to start?
  3. Are you today working in the field of ESG and sustainability through experiential (on-the-job) learning and now need a reputed academic qualification or professional designation to demonstrate the competence that you already have?
  4. Are you, as an ESG and sustainability practitioner, feeling frustrated that that you are not getting a similar kind of recognition, career progression and reward as colleagues in other well-defined academic/career fields?
  5. Are you looking for a professional credential that immediately tells your employer, colleagues, friends and family that you are the ultimate ESG and sustainability expert?
  6. Are you looking to be an independent ESG and sustainability advisor and be authorised to the sign off the sustainability declarations of listed companies as required by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for instance?
  7. Is your company/organisation ESG compliant?
  8. Have you even wondered how your company/organization could become ESG compliant and how this could actually translate to the success of your business?
  9. Have you been procrastinating about taking up an ESG qualification because your business work schedule does not allow you to attend in-person classes?
  10. Have you ever wondered how your knowledge and competence on ESG and sustainability compares with that of your peers both locally and around the world?
  11. Did you previously achieve an ESG or sustainability related qualification but many years after, you are unsure if your knowledge and competence continue to be top notch?

If you answer YES to any of the above questions, then we have good news for you.

.

Your gateway to becoming an ESG and sustainability professional

  1. Are you interested in supporting the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and other international and national priorities but you did not know where to start?
  2. Have you ever been interested in the Environment, Social, Gender/Governance (ESG) and sustainability matters but you do not know where to start?
  3. Are you today working in the field of ESG and sustainability through experiential (on-the-job) learning and now need a reputed academic qualification or professional designation to demonstrate the competence that you already have?
  4. Are you, as an ESG and sustainability practitioner, feeling frustrated that that you are not getting a similar kind of recognition, career progression and reward as colleagues in other well-defined academic/career fields?
  5. Are you looking for a professional credential that immediately tells your employer, colleagues, friends and family that you are the ultimate ESG and sustainability expert?
  6. Are you looking to be an independent ESG and sustainability advisor and be authorised to the sign off the sustainability declarations of listed companies as required by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for instance?
  7. Is your company/organisation ESG compliant?
  8. Have you even wondered how your company/organization could become ESG compliant and how this could actually translate to the success of your business?
  9. Have you been procrastinating about taking up an ESG qualification because your business work schedule does not allow you to attend in-person classes?
  10. Have you ever wondered how your knowledge and competence on ESG and sustainability compares with that of your peers both locally and around the world?
  11. Did you previously achieve an ESG or sustainability related qualification but many years after, you are unsure if your knowledge and competence continue to be top notch?

If you answer YES to any of the above questions, then we have good news for you.

.

Programs and Exams

In consultation and collaboration with businesses, employers, academics, international funding agencies, ESG and sustainability professionals, and credentialing experts from multiple industries in Africa and around the world, the International Association for Sustainable Economy (IASE) has developed two main products that are at the core of its endeavor to address some of these pertinent questions:

  • Qualifications:
    1. International Sustainable Finance
    2. International Sustainable Business
  • Professional Designations
    1. International Sustainable Finance® (ISF®)
    2. International Sustainable Business® (ISB®)

These products are purposely designed to give you the knowledge, competence and mark of professionalism that you need to enhance your career and potential in the field of ESG and sustainability.

Qualifications

Value proposition

Our ESG qualifications is your gateway into the ESG profession at an internationally recognised level. This will provide to you a structured education on both a foundational and advanced ESG and sustainability concepts and their applications.

Our qualifications provide you the study flexibility and choice of entry level that speaks to your needs and timelines. Of paramount importance is that fact that these qualifications have been designed to fully meet the Education Requirements of IASES’s 4E Certification Requirements for being awarded our coveted and respected professional ESG designations.

Who is this for?

Whether you are looking to enter into the ESG and sustainability profession, or you already have some experience in the field and need a reputed qualification to back up your experiential knowledge (on-the-job), our courses are designed to give you the desired edge.

Our Qualifications

We offer qualification programs in

  • International Sustainable Finance (ISF)
  • International Sustainable Business (ISB)

The ISF qualification is designed for those who work or aspire to work on ESG and Sustainability matters in Financial Services. This qualification has 3 specializations; Banking, Micro-Finance and Savings, thus giving you the opportunity to refine your knowledge further:

The ISB qualification is designed to suite those aspiring to go into ESG and Sustainability as it relates to every other sector.

Method of Delivery

Delivered exclusively online and in English, IASE uses cutting-edge technology in delivering these qualifications. See a demo of our e-learning platform in action here.

Online delivery also means that you can enrol and study from anywhere and anytime! So, whether you have been procrastinating about taking up a qualification because of your busy work schedule, there is no tuition provider close to you, or you are just locked down because of the Covid-19 pandemic, our online delivery method offers you the opportunity and flexibility to undertake your studies.

Our course delivery experts are of international repute. They are excited to support you and journey with you while offering you a learner-centered experience tailored to your aspirations, but which still enables you to attain the highest level of excellence needed in the profession.

 Course Content

[soon]

Course Duration

Each qualification requires a lecture time of 50 hours, spread over a minimum of couple of weeks but translating into two lessons of 2 hours each per week.

Assessment Methodology

To be awarded a qualification, learners must have completed all the modules, and passed a summative assessment. This is an online exam and the pass score is 60% which counts towards your qualification. It will be in the form of a multiple-choice question, with an almost immediate feedback.

To better prepare you for the summative assessment, lecturers may elect to give regular formative assessments to evaluate your comprehension/progress/challenges, as well as give you regular feedback in order to improve your learning experience. While the formative assessment will be continuous, it will not count towards your final pass mark for a qualification.

Successful students will be conferred the relevant certificate confirming that they have completed the qualification.

Professional Designations

Value Proposition

Our international prestigious professional designations serve to guarantee the public that you have the competency and ethical standards that is expected of you as an ESG and sustainability professional. It will further confer the assurance that as the holder of the designation, not only do you meet certain knowledge, competency, and ethical standards on a given initial historical date (e.g. when you acquired a qualification), but you have to date stayed current with the evolution of those standards and exigencies of the profession.

We have ensured that these designations have a distinct internationally reputable 4E certification standard:  Education, Examination, Experience and Ethics which will always give you the lead in the profession among your peers.

Who is this for?

Our designations are for people who aspire to acquire and demonstrate their continuous relevance in the ESG and sustainable profession. Candidates must be at least 16 years of age and should have acquired at least a high school diploma qualification. Additionally, aspirants are encouraged to acquire a relevant ESG qualification such as IASE’s ESG qualification in ISF or ISB if they do not already have a relevant ESG qualification.

Our Designations

  1. International Sustainable Finance® (ISF®)
  2. International Sustainable Business® (ISB®)

Method of Delivery

To give you the edge required as a designated ESG professional, ISAE will apply the 4E Certification Standards which will involve a mix of delivery approaches.

Education

Professionalism begins with the right education. IASE’s International Sustainable Finance and International Sustainable Business qualifications delivered online as explained here [place the link] will be the first critical step for those who do not already hold a relevant ESG qualification but would like to enrol into one of our education programs (ISF or ISB).

Examination

IASE’s Professional Competency Examination (also known as the Board Exam) will equally comprise of multiple choice questions, delivered online using our advance machine learning technology-driven platform, with an almost immediate assessment.

Experience

These two online delivery methods will be complemented with your demonstration of a minimum of six-month relevant professional work experience in the field of ESG and sustainability acquired in any work place and submitted to IASE for evaluation and validation.

Ethics

As a core element of any profession, aspirants will be required to submit a written declaration to continuously abide to the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility required in the profession. They will also demonstrate that that they have remained compliant during and beyond the six-month work experience phase. These documents should be submitted to your local IASE member body for approval.

This delivery mechanism offers you complete freedom and flexibility in achieving your goal and becoming an ESG professional designation holder in either International Sustainable Finance® or International Sustainable Business®.

Course Content

Our educational courses which will provide you with the relevant qualification in either ISF or ISB are designed in consultation and collaboration with businesses, employers, academics, international funding agencies, ESG and sustainability professionals and credentialing experts from multiple industries in Africa and around the world. Our qualifications have been designed to cover [….].

 Course Duration

The overall time to acquire the designation will be driven by a number of important factors:

  1. Whether you already hold a relevant ESG qualification in Sustainable Finance or Sustainable Business. For aspirants without a qualification, IASE’s ISF and ISB qualifications requires lecture time of 50 hours of two lectures weekly, and a duration of two hours per lecture. Once your qualification is approved, you will be eligible for the Professional Competency Examination which you can take at any time and from anywhere.
  2. Whether you already have a minimum of six-month relevant work experience or you still need to acquire this experience after taking the exams.
  • Whether you demonstrate and are willing to continuously adhere to all our ethical requirements and have indicated this in writing.

Assessment Methodology

You will be evaluated based on your compliance to our 4E certification standards as follows:

  • Have you acquired the relevant ESG qualification in Sustainable Finance or Sustainable Business?
  • Have you passed our Board Exams?
  • Have you shown us evidence of a minimum of six-month work experience?
  • Have you provided us with a written declaration of complete adherence to continuously abide to our Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities?

If you answer yes to all four criteria, you will be awarded the relevant professional designation in International Sustainable Finance® or International Sustainable business®. This will be conferred to you as a certificate.

IASE’s Commitment to Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

Value Proposition

At IASE, we understand that our world and work places are dynamic and presents new opportunities and challenges every day.  Staying abreast as a professional requires a continuous learning path, and a mechanism to demonstrate that you are on par with the profession in terms of knowledge, competence, ethics and experience.

Who is it for?

CPD is a lifelong learning process designed for IASE professional designation holders which allows them to systematically engage in activities that maintain abilities, skills and knowledge required for professional practice.

How is this acquired?

IASE designation holders must commit to undertake a minimum of 10 hours of additional and ongoing learning per annum.

IASE has developed online courses that can help our designation holders to obtain the required training and thus meet their CPD requirement for retaining their designation. However, it is worth noting that there are many other ways of achieving your CPD requirements. Please contact your local IASE Member certification body for more information in this regard.

Additionally, designation holders must continue to abide to all our Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibilities. They must report to IASE any ethical transgressions that arises during the year.

Assessment Method

Designation holders are required to record and submit evidence of their CPD activities for the yearly cycles to their local IASE member certification body for inspection. Evidence of adherence to IASE’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility should also be submitted to IASE for inspection and validation.

The assessment result will be communicated to you through our online platform.

Adherence to Ethical Standards  

Our designation holders must declare in writing on an annual basis that they continue to adhere to IASE’s ethics standards as enshrined in IASE’s by-laws, Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Disciplinary Regulations, which will be amended from time to time.

They are required to report to IASE any ethical transgressions that they may have been implicated in during the year under review.
Please contact your local IASE Member certification body for more information.

All our members are required to adhere to the our Code of Ethics, a set of principles ensuring we maintain high standards of integrity, probity and ethical fair dealing.

Ethics are a cornerstone of professionalism, and ethical behaviour is crucial to secure public trust and confidence in the profession and to build a reputation which people value. Failure to comply with the Code may result in disciplinary action against the member and risk adverse publicity for the member and their  organisation

Exams

  • International Sustainable Finance (ISF) qualification

  • International Sustainable Business (ISB) qualification

  • International Sustainable Finance (ISF) Professional Competency Exam/Board Exam

  • International Sustainable Business (ISB) Professional Competency Exam/Board Exam

  • International Sustainable Finance (ISF) qualification

  • International Sustainable Business (ISB) qualification

  • International Sustainable Finance (ISF) Professional Competency Exam/Board Exam

  • International Sustainable Business (ISB) Professional Competency Exam/Board Exam

Methodology & Standards

IASE qualifications and designations are designed in consultation with experienced sector practitioners. All IASE qualifications are quality-assured and supported by relevant learning outcomes.

IASE qualifications are flexible, allowing you to create a learning pathway to suit your needs.

Enhancing professional standards