Sustainability: The Role of Non-Financial Reporting

Explore ESG financing and the role of rating agencies

Stakeholders are increasingly demanding to know details of the sustainability strategy of companies as well as requests for non-financial data. Determining these information requirements and how best to provide them is a challenge for sustainability and finance teams.

This two-week course will help you understand the importance of non-financial data and how organisations such as rating agencies use this information to make an assessment of ESG related risks.

You’ll explore the challenges with getting the right types of data and how to avoid claims of greenwashing. You’ll also learn how the main credit rating agencies and ESG specialist firms apply their own methodologies to create ESG scores and ratings.

Building on our previous courses Sustainability: An Introduction to ESG and Sustainability: The Role of Private Sector Finance, this course will take your finance knowledge to the next level.

Learn how to communicate your sustainability strategy

You’ll start by unpacking the importance of communicating your sustainability strategy as you explore examples of corporate communication.

Explore the role of credit rating agencies

To help a business achieve its objectives it’s important to have a 2nd party opinion and 3rd party assurance.

On the course, you’ll learn the techniques to select an appropriate opinion/assurance provider.

Learn from the experts at the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Throughout the course, you’ll be guided by the specialist at ACT to gain the confidence to lead and support discussions with rating agencies and professional advisors, enhancing your career prospects in the finance sector.

This course is designed for those working in a financial environment or dealing with corporate communications. It does not require any previous financial qualifications but an understanding of how stakeholders apply a financial lens when reviewing the performance of a business.

• The importance of reporting on sustainability strategy and performance
• Introduction to the course
• The importance of communicating your sustainability strategy
• Key reporting frameworks
• Performance indicators
• Selecting sustainability related data
• Summary of Week 1
• How sustainability strategy and performance is used by stakeholders
• Introduction to Week 2
• Background to credit rating agencies
• How credit rating agencies assess ESG risks
• The role played by non-credit rating agencies in assessing ESG risks
• Designing a sustainability communications operating model
• Examples of good practice in communicating a sustainability strategy
• Examples of good practice within ESG corporate reporting
• Course summary and assessment