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Corporate Sustainable Finance Certificate
Corporate Sustainable Finance
In sustainability management, the finance function takes centre stage. Making the cut requires master-class know-how. That's exactly what you'll learn on the "Corporate Sustainable Finance" certificate programme.
Registration
- German
- hybrid
- 12 ECTS
- 7 , 650 €
- Next start: 06.09.2027
- 9 Präsenztage
- Campus Rheingau
A Knowledge Edge for Sustainable Corporate Goals.
Across seven topic areas, we work with you in depth on the various dimensions of the finance function and their sustainability challenges, from strategic management, through corporate finance, to reporting on performance. What does that mean for you? Expertise that leaves a lasting impression, in every sense of the word.
Concept in Detail
A subject well worth investing in.
It should be in the interest of both business and society as a whole to meet new environmental and social expectations, and in doing so, to gradually develop into companies that are sustainable and economically strong for the long term. Know-how in this field provides a solid foundation for exactly that.
Thirty years at the cutting edge.
The "Corporate Sustainable Finance" certificate programme is a further valuable addition to our executive education offering in sustainable finance and sustainable management. In this field, we provide professionals with part-time, practice-oriented executive education at university level. Our goal is to support you and your organisation in meeting rising sustainability standards with confidence.
What matters to us.
At EBS, we shape leaders. That is why we place great emphasis on the direct transfer of knowledge. We achieve this through guided "real-life cases" — concrete, practice-based scenarios closely aligned with the programme — and through forward-looking interaction that keeps the wider world in view. And there's no better place to start than in your own organisation.
Your Opportunities Going Forward
Graduates of the "Corporate Sustainable Finance" certificate programme are equipped, with the title Corporate Sustainable Finance Advisor (EBS), to build and advance a successful career in the new, growing field of sustainable finance.
Recognised by the Financial Times
The Financial Times has ranked the leading providers of executive education for 2026. EBS Universität's Executive School achieved an outstanding position nationally among open programmes. Among the criteria in which the Executive School particularly excelled were graduate satisfaction, programme design and faculty. The Financial Times Ranking confirms the excellence of the Executive School's programmes and underlines our commitment to enabling successful careers through further education.
What You Ideally Bring With You
The certificate programme is aimed at the following target groups:
- Executives and employees at real-economy companies across all sectors who work on sustainable finance topics, CSR and sustainability.
- Employees in the financial services industry pursuing a sustainability-oriented business strategy, working in corporate lending, commercial insurance of corporate risks, wealth management, family offices, and private equity firms.
Basic Requirements
- Proof of a completed degree from a university, university of applied sciences or vocational academy
oder
- Evidence of suitability through relevant professional experience or further training, preferably in finance and/or sustainability, together with proof of general or subject-restricted higher education entrance qualification
An Investment That Pays Off
The total cost of the "Corporate Sustainable Finance" certificate programme is 7,650 euros, including seminar materials, lunch and refreshments.
For members of BAI, B.A.U.M., CRIC, DAI, DIRK, FNG, ICV and VfU, and for graduates of EBS Executive School programmes, the tuition fee is 6,885 euros.
Examination at the first scheduled sitting is included in the tuition fee, as is the first resit date set by the Examinations Office. A fee of 180 euros applies for each subsequent resit registration.
This service is exempt from VAT pursuant to Section 4 No. 21 a) bb) of the German VAT Act (UStG).
Julian Schmitt, Head of Investor Relations & Treasury, RHÖN-KLINIKUM Aktiengesellschaft, Bad Neustadt
The ESG dimension is becoming increasingly important within the finance functions of real-economy companies too. In my view, the Corporate Sustainable Finance (CSF) certificate programme prepares participants optimally for a wide range of ESG topics by delivering sound and comprehensive expertise. I particularly valued the regulatory sessions on recent developments in the EU Taxonomy and CSRD. I found the lecturers, drawn from both corporate practice and academia, to be first-class experts. Building a further network within sustainable finance and sustainability is another decisive factor that speaks in favour of this EBS programme.
Practitioner Experts Well Worth Listening To
Academic Director: Prof. Dr Rolf Tilmes, EBS Executive School
Programme Director: Dr. Thomas Schulz, Head of Sustainability Programmes, EBS Executive School
Our Lecturers
- Sebastian Binder, Senior Manager, Strategy and Transactions, Ernst & Young GmbH, Stuttgart
- Michael Diegelmann, Board Member, cometis AG, Wiebaden
- Laura Echternacht, Director / Member of the Management Board, Sustainable AG, München
- Constantin M. Gall, Managing Partner, Strategy and Transactions, Ernst & Young GmbH, Stuttgart
- Tobias Heck, Group Climate Lead, RWE AG, Essen
- Dr. Peter Hoffmann, Senior Scientist, Research Department II: Climate Resilience, Climate Impacts and Adaptation, Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung, Potsdam
- Adiane Hofstetter, Board Member, cometis AG, Wiesbaden
- Andrea Kämmler-Burrak, Associate Partner, Horváth & Partner GmbH, Munich
- Frank Klein, Managing Director/Global Client Group, DWS International GmbH, Frankfurt am Main
- Jan-Marten Krebs, Board Member, sustainable AG, Munich
- Dr. Markus Lange, Lawyer, Partner, Baker Tilly Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft GmbH, Frankfurt am Main
- Hendrik Marx-Altkuckatz, Senior Manager, Sustainable AG, Munich
- Tobias Moss, Head of Corporate Real Estate Projects, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf
- Prof. Dr. Mike Schulze, Vice President for Research and Practice Transfer, Professor of Controlling, CBS International Business School, Mainz
- Frank Sibert, Head of Sustainable Finance Germany, BNP Paribas S.A., German Branch, Frankfurt am Main
- Dr. Andreas Josef Wagner, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of ESG Germany, Head Division Promotional Loans and StartUp & Succession Financing, Unicredit Bank GmbH, Munich
- Prof. Dr Thomas Wunder, Professor of Strategic Management, Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, Neu-Ulm / Academic Advisor for Sustainability Programmes, EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht // Founder and Managing Director, SustainUp GmbH
18 Modules, Motivated Participants - a Lasting Learning Effect
The "Corporate Sustainable Finance" certificate programme comprises seven topic areas across 18 modules, delivered over nine days in three blocks. The programme concludes with a 180-minute written examination and a 21-page written transfer assignment, which gives you the opportunity to apply what you've learned to a real-world question from your own professional environment.
Below you will find a detailed overview of the course content.
Topic Area 1: Strategy and Transition Planning
Module 1: Sustainable Corporate Management
- The role of companies in the global process of sustainable development
- Benefits and motivations for sustainable corporate management
- Implications for strategy, organisation, functional areas and reporting
- Value creation through sustainable corporate management
Module 2: Sustainable Strategic Management
- Securing the future by linking strategy and sustainability
- Mindsets and approaches to sustainable strategy work
- Sustainable strategy work 2.0: methods and examples
- Organisational ambidexterity: exploitation & exploration
- Managing strategic transformation
Module 3: Transition Plans: Strategic Management of Climate and Biodiversity Risks and Opportunities
- Definition and characteristics of climate transition plans (core elements, compatibility, sector-specific factors, etc.)
- Regulation and frameworks (overview)
- Key starting points and drafting principles
- Purposes and benefits (compliance, communication, incentive plans, etc.)
- Quality (assurance, impact, etc.)
- Business strategy and climate transition plans
- Responsibilities within organisational structure and processes
Topic Area 2: Management and Impact
Module 4: Sustainability Performance Management
- Sustainability and environmental management systems
- Measuring the company's operational sustainability performance
- Strategic and operational management of sustainability within the organisation
- The relationship between Corporate Sustainability Performance (CSP) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP)
- Return on Sustainable Investment (ROSI)
Module 5: Measuring and Managing Corporate Impact
- Indicators and KPIs relating to climate and biodiversity
- Impact categories beyond GHG emissions
- Life cycle assessments: organisation and product
- Data sources and data quality
- Digitalisation and AI in measuring corporate impact on climate and biodiversity
- Governance systems relating to climate and biodiversity
- Integration into finance processes
Module 6: M&A: Optimising Capital Allocation with Regard to Sustainability Aspects
- From sustainability strategy to M&A strategy
- Sustainable objectives within M&A strategy
- M&A as a means of strategically managing sustainability performance
- Sustainability across the M&A deal lifecycle
- Sustainable pricing and refinancing
Topic Area 3: Reporting and Communication
Module 7: The International Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Business: Legislation, Norms, Standards
- UN (Paris Climate Agreement, SDGs, Global Compact, UNEP FI PRI/PSI/PRB, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
- OECD and ILO
- EU (2018 Action Plan, Sustainable Finance Strategy 2021/2023, Green Deal, Fit for 55) including the Taxonomy, SFDR, MiFID/IDD, CSRD, CSDDD, CRD/CRR, GBS, and the ECB/EBA/ESMA/EIOPA
- Germany (German Sustainability Strategy, sustainable finance strategy, legislation and supervision) including the DCGK, LkSG, and BaFin/BAFA
Module 8: Requirements for Sustainability Reporting
- Sustainable corporate governance: strategy, due diligence obligations, reporting
- Financial and non-financial reporting
- Current status under the NFRD, Sections 289b et seq. of the HGB, GRI, DNK, etc.
- Future sustainability reporting under CSRD and ESRS, as well as IFRS SDS
- In particular: the double materiality perspective (outside-in, inside-out)
- Interaction with other regulatory frameworks (Taxonomy, SFDR, etc.)
Module 9: Increasing Efficiency in Sustainability Reporting
- Efficiency challenges in reporting and ESG reporting
- Efficiency levers in reporting and ESG reporting: levers and core elements of the reporting process
- Implementing efficient ESG reporting: requirements, implementation steps and accelerators
- Integrated reporting: interaction with financial reporting
Module 10: Investor Relations: The Future Significance of Agentic Finance for ESG Analysis and Communication
- The current state of the capital markets, and how AI will accelerate their transformation
- Agentic finance and investor relations: how do they fit together, and what are the steps towards convergence?
- The current state of sustainability transformation, and how AI and the capital markets are actively shaping it
- Live demonstration of synthetic stakeholders (AI agents) in financial and ESG analysis
Topic Area 4: Financing
Module 11: Sustainable & Green Finance: Bonds, Loans, Schuldschein Instruments, etc. (Including ESG Ratings)
- Introduction to sustainable & green finance — why sustainable finance?
- ESG and sustainability in the banking sector
- Why are banks and investors engaging with sustainability topics?
- Examining various risk aspects (physical, transition and reputational risks)
- Overview of sustainable finance products
- Sustainability-linked vs use-of-proceeds financing structures
- Connecting EU Green Deal objectives with institutions' own sustainability strategies
- Development of the EU Green Bond Standard and the significance of the EU Taxonomy for product development
- ESG and sustainability from an investor's perspective
- What drives institutional investors, asset managers and asset owners with regard to sustainability?
- Biodiversity in finance and the real economy
- Why should the financial sector and the real economy engage with biodiversity and natural capital?
Module 12: Sustainability in Corporate Lending
- Understanding and managing transition risks: regulatory requirements, technological shifts and market demands as key drivers for corporate strategy and risk KPIs for banks
- Assessing physical risks: the significance of extreme weather events for companies, their business models, locations and supply chains, and their integration into banks' risk analysis and credit assessment
- Net-zero requirements in corporate lending: portfolio targets, management logic and implications for financing
- The significance and use of ESG data from corporate clients
- Credit products for sustainable financing
- Transition among SMEs: the importance of sustainable business models for the competitiveness, future viability and market position of companies
Topic Area 5: Asset Management
Module 13: Sustainable Investment, in Particular Pension Fund Management
- Companies as institutional investors
- Sustainability in pension fund management: current developments
- Sustainability strategies for liquid assets (equities, bonds and cash)
- Concrete implementation of an ESG strategy within Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA)
- The influence of exclusion criteria on sustainability strategy in asset management
- ESG reporting
Module 14: Sustainable Corporate Real Estate Management (CREM)
- Sustainable CREM as an enabler of sustainability-oriented business strategy
- Sustainable portfolio management for operational real estate
- Sustainable planning, construction and operations within the group
- Challenges in producing life cycle cost analyses
- Sustainability certification (DGNB, LEED, BREEAM, etc.)
Topic Area 6: Risk Management
Module 15: Sustainability in Risk Management
- Corporate responsibility as the management of environmental and social risks
- New topics and metrics (climate, water, natural resources, conflict minerals, human rights, working conditions, corruption, biodiversity, etc.)
- Extended scope of responsibility (multi-tier supply chains)
- ESG and climate resilience
- Future-proofing the business model
Topic Area 7: Climate and Biodiversity
Module 16: Climate and Biodiversity Risks: Scientific Foundations
- Elements and functions of the climate system
- Greenhouse gases, and the natural and anthropogenic greenhouse effect
- Aspects of the causes of climate change (globalisation, population growth, rainforest deforestation, cattle farming, etc.)
- Aspects of the consequences of climate change (tipping elements, extreme weather events, water scarcity, cryosphere, permafrost, thermohaline circulation, biodiversity, migration, etc.)
- Medium-term climate forecasts and scenarios (methods, assessments)
Module 17: Standards for Managing and Reporting Climate and Biodiversity Risks
- Statutory regulation (CSRD, EU Taxonomy) in the context of climate and biodiversity
- GHG Protocol Scope 1, 2 and 3 accounting
- Impact categories beyond GHG emissions
- TCFD and TNFD recommendations
- SBTi requirements
- Requirements and interaction between SBTi and climate transition plans
- Scenario analysis to identify climate risks
Module 18: Integrated Management of Climate and Biodiversity Risks
- Climate strategy and SBTi
- Measuring and reporting climate risk
- Business models and business opportunities
- GHG pricing: emissions trading systems, carbon taxes
- Analysing climate risk for fixed assets (climate models, IPCC climate scenarios, climate risk visualisation and quantification, etc.)
- Integrated management systems for managing climate and biodiversity
Good to Know
Dates:
Start date (9th cohort): 6 September 2027
- Block phase 1 (Mon–Wed): 6–8 September 2027
- Block phase 2 (Mon–Wed): 27–29 September 2027
- Block phase 3 (Mon–Wed): 18–20 October 2027
- Start of transfer assignment (Thursday): 21 October 2027
- Examination (Saturday morning): 13 November 2027
- Submission of transfer assignment (Tuesday): 22 November 2027
- Schedule overview PDF (104 KB)
- Employer funding information PDF (530 KB)
ECTS Credits and Recognition Towards the Master's Programme
The "Corporate Sustainable Finance" certificate programme carries 12 ECTS credits, which can be credited towards the "Master in Business (M. A.)" with a specialisation in "Sustainable Finance" .
Format: Hybrid
This executive education programme is delivered in hybrid format. Participation is possible both on campus and via Zoom.
Our Partners
The Bundesverband Alternative Investments e.V. (BAI), founded in Bonn in 1997, represents the interests of the alternative investment sector in Germany across all asset classes and products. Its membership spans every area of the professional alternative investment industry, with 300 national and international companies currently members of the association. The BAI is committed to helping professional investors in Germany diversify their capital more easily and effectively into alternative asset classes, with particular attention to the long-term security of German pension provision. It regards legislative reform and the ongoing development of the law in the interests of its members and their investors as a core part of its mission.
Under the acronym B.A.U.M. , the Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management e.V. has, since 1984, successfully and forward-looking-ly brought together economic, environmental and social issues — that is, the principles of sustainability. Today, with around 700 members, B.A.U.M. is an important information and contact network for sustainable business across Europe. B.A.U.M. sees itself as a strong voice for sustainably run companies and as a driver of sustainable development.
The Corporate Responsibility Interface Center (CRIC) e.V. – an association promoting ethics and sustainability in investment, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to giving greater weight to environmental, social and cultural considerations in business and society. To promote ethical, sustainable investment, CRIC engages in dialogue with business, politics and civil society. With more than 130 members across the DACH region, CRIC also works in an interdisciplinary and critically reflective way. Its focus areas include raising awareness of values- and impact-based investing, sustainable investment strategies, particularly engagement, and academic research.
As a strong voice for the capital markets, the Deutsche Aktieninstitut has represented the interests of listed companies and other key capital market participants since 1953. The Deutsches Aktieninstitut also serves as the secretariat of the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code. It advocates for a strong capital market that enables companies to finance themselves effectively and contribute to society's prosperity.
DIRK – Deutscher Investor Relations Verband is the largest European professional association connecting companies and capital markets. We give investor relations (IR) a voice, representing around 90% of listed capital in Germany. As an independent centre of expertise, we help optimise dialogue between issuers, capital providers and relevant intermediaries, setting professional quality standards along the way.
The FNG – Forum Nachhaltige Geldanlagen is the professional association in Germany, Austria and Switzerland representing around 200 members committed to sustainability in the financial sector. Its membership includes banks, insurers, investment companies, asset management firms, wealth managers, rating agencies, financial advisers, academic institutions, NGOs and private individuals.
ICV is the centre of expertise for modern controlling, with its services benefiting controllers, CFOs, CEOs and managers alike. ICV understands controlling as a goal-oriented management process that can only be effective through collaboration between controllers and managers. Economic sustainability is our guiding principle. ICV is there for everyone involved in controlling, bringing together what belongs together but doesn't always come together in everyday practice, and which is stronger when it does.
The Verein für Umweltmanagement und Nachhaltigkeit in Finanzinstituten is a network, founded in 1995, of sustainable finance professionals from around 50 financial institutions across the DACH region (banks, insurers, investment companies and related associations). VfU's central aim is to promote and disseminate "sustainable finance", enabling substantial progress towards sustainable development.
Relevant for you
I will be happy to help you
Prof. Dr. Rolf Tilmes
Programme Director