This e-Learning course is comprised of four modules, each of which will be offered over a one-week period (total of 3 weeks), with modules 3 and 4 taking place during the final week.

Syllabus of the 2008 course (2009 materials currently being updated):

Module 1: An Introduction to Climate Change

Lesson 1: An Introduction to Climate Change: The Science behind the Phenomenon

• What is Climate Change
  
• Impacts of a changing climate
  
• The link between the science, the effects and business
  
• Key economic impact issues
  
• Vulnerability and coping with impacts

Lesson 2: Climate Change and Financial Services: Why does it matter?

• Climate Change and the Financial Services Sector: Banking Chapter
  
• Climate Change and the Financial Services Sector: Insurance Chapter
  
• Climate Change and the Financial Services Sector: Asset Management Chapter
  
• Implications of climate change scenarios for financial institutions

Lesson 3: Policy and Regulation

• UNFCCC: Outline of the treaty
  
• The Kyoto Protocol
  
• 'Post 2012' and the Bali Roadmap'
  
• Process: who is there, how it works
  
• A window onto the politics
  
• Other processes

Module 2: Climate Change and the Energy Economy

Lesson 4: Climate Change and its Implications for Energy and Energy Financing: A Scenario Analysis.

• Mandatory Policy / Legislation
  
  • Renewable Portfolio Standards
    
  • Feed-In Tariffs
    
  • Public Benefit Programs
    
  • Tax mechanisms
    
• What are the Implications of Energy Policy on how energy is sourced?
  
• How do Clean Energy Alternatives Compare from a Financing Perspective?
  
• Energy Sourcing: a "Whole of Portfolio" Approach

Lesson 5: Climate Change and Financing Strategies: An Overview

• What kinds of financial risk are created by climate change?
  
• Managing climate risks in investment portfolios
  
• Approaches to Integration of Climate Risks in Portfolios and Valuation

Lesson 6: Climatic Risks to Projects

• Relevance of climatic hazards to environmental impact assessments
  
• Management of climatic hazards for projects
  
• Liability for emissions?

Lesson 7: The "Clean Energy Wave": Opportunities & Risks in Alternative Energy

• Sources of clean energy investment
  
• Technology Review
  
  • Solar
    
  • Wind
    
  • Biofuels
    
  • Biomass
    
  • Geothermal
    
  • Hydro
    
  • Marine
    
  • Fuel Cells
    
  • Nuclear
    
  • CCS
    
  • Synfuels
    
  • Clean Coal
    
• What is Cleantech?
  
• How do we finance Clean Energy Innovation?

Module 3: Carbon Finance

Lesson 8: An Introduction to the Flexible Mechanisms: Emissions trading

• The Flexible Mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol
  
  • International Emission Trading (IET)
    
  • The Project-Based Mechanisms
    
• The EU Emission Trading System: The First International Emissions
  
• Trading Scheme in Practice
  
  • Risks and Opportunities for Participating Companies
    
  • Who loses and who gains from the EU ETS?
    
• Market Developments in the EU ETS and the Kyoto Market
  
  • The voluntary market
    
  • The role of USA
    
• How financial institutions can encounter the challenges related to climate change and emissions trading
  
  • Case Studies

Lesson 9: Introduction to the project-based mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol

• CDM and JI - How does it work?
  
• CDM project cycle
  
• Players involved in a CDM Project
  
• CDM/JI market development and potential
  
• CDM: Opportunities and Challenges

Lesson 10: CDM: Risks and opportunities for financial service providers

• Differences between CDM projects and 'common' projects
  
• Specific risks of CDM projects
  
• How can financial service providers address CDM risks?
  
• Case Study 1: Windpower Project - Mexico
  
• Case Study 2: Landfill Gas Recovery and Utilization - China
  
• Case Study 3: N2O Emission Reduction - Republic of Korea
  

Module 4: Conclusion and Next Steps

Lesson 11: What's next?

• Post 2012 issues
  
• Other relevant climate change initiatives for financial institutions
  
• Internal action plan
  
• Use of financial instruments for other environmental issues