Through this ESG Investing: Industry Impacts & Transformations course, students with basic knowledge of traditional financial products can explore how certain financial market sectors have been transforming, amid a heightened focus on risk factors that underpin the three pillars of ESG. For example, what led age-old, iconic companies such as Borden and Dean Foods to file for bankruptcy? How are traditional oil giants BP and Exxon Mobil managing the energy transition? And what steps are firms such as International Paper and WestRock taking to align their business operations with forestry concerns?
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Through a series of video, webinar, and reading modules, among other objectives, you’ll learn how to conduct critical analyses about certain market sector changes, including dairy, tobacco, energy, and forest products, as well as examine the potential role for certain commodities, as industries such as the auto sector undergo transformation. You should also be able to assess the potential impacts on the creditworthiness of certain high-yield companies amid shifts in ESG strategies.
Course 2 of 4 in the ESG Investing: Financial Decisions in Flux Specialization.
What You Will Learn
- Identify certain market sector changes, including dairy, tobacco, energy, and forest products.
- Discuss shifts in certain company strategies aligned with ESG-related concerns.
- Explore how to assess the potential impacts on the creditworthiness of certain high yield companies amid heightened attention to ESG-related risks.
- Explain the potential role for certain commodities, as industries such as the auto sector undergo transformation.
Syllabus
WEEK 1
ESG's Influence on Business Sectors
ESG-related issues have impacted different business sectors in more or less dramatic ways, and as governments, companies, and their stakeholders increase their engagement with these concerns, traditional industries seem to be staging significant transformations. In this module, we explore how ESG has influenced material business sector shifts in the areas of forest products, energy, transportation, dairy, and healthcare, among others, to enable you to home in on asking critical questions when performing fundamental analysis.
WEEK 2
ESG Investing: Credit Perspectives - Zeo Capital Advisors (Parts 1-3)
While the following webinar, “How to Make an Impact Through Credit Investing”, focuses on how heightened attention on ESG risk factors have impacted the businesses of certain high yield companies, Venk Reddy, founder and chief investment officer of Zeo Capital Advisors, also highlights several other related topics – including investment styles, such as ESG integrators and passive screeners, as well as discusses certain areas of concern, including green washing, and regulatory disclosures, which will be echoed in later lessons. Also, through this presentation, you’ll find out, among other objectives, how ESG analysis may be compared to credit analysis, why intentionality is a critical component in performing due diligence and company selection in a sustainable portfolio, as well as ways in which investors may be able to differentiate authentic management from marketing schemes.
WEEK 3
ESG Investing: Credit Perspectives - Zeo Capital Advisors (Parts 4-6)
The “How to Make an Impact Through Credit Investing” webinar continues with Venk Reddy, founder and CIO at Zeo Capital Advisors, addressing how high yield energy companies are generally managing the transition towards alternative energy, as well as the risk/reward profile of ESG-related vs non-ESG business sectors, and outlines a process for conducting fundamental analysis on an ESG-related, fixed income portfolio.
WEEK 4
ESG Investing: Credit Perspectives - Zeo Capital Advisors (Parts 7-8)
The “How to Make an Impact Through Credit Investing” webinar continues with Venk Reddy, founder and CIO at Zeo Capital Advisors, highlighting the importance of company character, including intentionality, as well as offering ways in which to approach ESG investing if self-managing, or outsourcing the management of, a fixed income portfolio.
WEEK 5
Energy Transition: Industry Insights - WisdomTree Europe (Parts 1-3)
In this module, we’ll take a deeper look at how the transportation sector is transforming in the wake of ESG-related concerns – and how, as a result, the supply and demand dynamics for certain financial assets, such as commodities, may change. The following webinar, “Batteries: Harnessing the Power of the Energy Transition”, presented by Nitesh Shah, research director at WisdomTree Europe, examines, among other topics, a proposed trajectory for electric vehicle sales, and how advancements in battery technology are opening new markets – from electric vehicles to energy storage systems. Shah also details how he expects electric vehicles to drive lithium-ion battery growth and highlights how certain commodities may benefit from their increased production. He further outlines how certain equities may also benefit across all parts of the value chain.
WEEK 6
Energy Transition: Industry Insights - WisdomTree Europe (Parts 4-6)
The “Batteries: Harnessing the Power of the Energy Transition” webinar continues with Nitesh Shah, research director at WisdomTree Europe, providing an outlook on the costs of batteries, as well as a forward-looking comparison of purchasing electric vs internal combustion engine vehicles. Shah also walks through the supply/demand dynamics of renewable energies, as well as the commodities that are used to produce batteries.
WEEK 7
Energy Transition: Industry Insights - WisdomTree Europe (Parts 7-9)
The “Batteries: Harnessing the Power of the Energy Transition” webinar continues with Nitesh Shah, research director at WisdomTree Europe, breaking down the battery value chain and identifying related investment opportunities in certain commodities and equities.
WEEK 8
Reading Reinforcements
This Reading Reinforcement module provides you with more detailed information about specific business sector and individual company shifts in the wake of different sustainability-driven issues. After completion, you should be able to describe how certain of SASB’s industry standards align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, as well as related changes in market sectors and companies’ strategies.
