Financing the Net Zero Transformation: Climate Risk and Opportunity Deep Dive

Why take this course?

Climate change and the transition to net zero creates risk and opportunity for the finance sector. Finance professionals need to know how to navigate the complexities of climate risk and opportunity in their sectors, organisations and roles.

With mandatory reporting of climate-related financial risk on the horizon, and the Australian Government’s new Sustainable Finance Strategy in place, it’s more important than ever that finance professionals build their knowledge and skills in this rapidly evolving area of expertise.

This course is presented by leading experts in sustainable finance and futures thinking, engaged with the latest international developments in these areas. It will prepare you with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of climate finance risk and opportunity, and will take you deeper into understanding the role of finance in responding to the climate crisis. You will engage with peers around key issues and learn practical tools to enhance your thinking on climate finance risk and opportunity, enhancing your capacity to motivate and lead change.

Who is this course for?

Finance professionals working in sectors including:	Finance professionals working in roles including:
Superannuation Asset management Insurance Banking Professional services Government Corporates	Fund management Responsible investment Risk management/analysis Reporting and disclosure Government affairs/external policy and regulation Corporate governance Financial management Product development Sales and business development Customer/client engagement / Account Management

Course content

Day 1: Risk

Day 2: Opportunity

Climate finance foundations:

Introductions to sustainability challenges
Foundations of climate science, review of climate risks for Australia and analysis of case study exercise
Understanding climate risks (physical and transition)
Connecting with nature risk
Navigating the net zero transition
Sustainability mindsets and culture
Understanding tipping points and transitions
Climate scenarios and decarbonisation pathways
The role of finance
Implications for your organisation

The climate finance landscape:

Australian Government’s Sustainable Finance Strategy
Climate-related financial disclosure legislation, AASB draft standard and IFRS S1 and S2 global framework
Nature-risk disclosure and nature markets
Net-zero transition plans
Prudential Capital
Blended finance

Investing in the future:

Investment opportunities, developments in equity and climate technologies
Green bonds and green markets
Labelling and certification

Leading the transition:

Building the skills to lead transformation
Building a community of practice

Speakers and facilitators

	Alison Atherton Research Director, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures Alison has a background in social sciences, chartered accountancy audit and advisory, and over a decade of experience in sustainability research and consultancy. Alison has extensive experience in project direction, planning, management and implementation, including large, complex, multi-partner projects. Her clients include all levels of government and the not-for-profit and private sectors.
	Gordon Noble Research Director, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures Gordon has worked across financial systems in a variety of capacities over a thirty-year career including in frontline roles in banking, superannuation, investment management, employee relations and policy/research. He was one of the first employees of the United Nations backed Principles for Responsible Investment, founded what is now the Principles for Responsible Investment Academy and in 2020 co-authored the Australian Sustainable Finance Roadmap released by the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative.
	Prof. Chris Riedy Associate Director Learning and Development, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures Chris is a transdisciplinary action researcher with a focus on sustainability transformations. He uses sociological and political theory, narrative theory and futures thinking to design, facilitate and evaluate practical experiments in transformative change towards sustainable futures.
	Assoc. Prof. Dr Sven Teske Research Director, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures Sven’s research focus is energy decarbonisation pathways for countries, regions, urban environments, and specific industry sectors towards Net-Zero by 2050. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Flensburg in Germany and led the development of the One Earth Climate Model, a world-leading tool for devising detailed carbon-reduction pathways.