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March 27, 2026
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This article breaks down the latest updates to the curriculum of the CFA Institute's Sustainable Investing Certificate (formerly Certificate in ESG Investing) program. Will also explain why ESG integration into the curriculum is important, which topics are covered, and the potential impact it holds for aspiring investment professionals striving to make a positive difference in the world of finance.
Below are the syllabus topics and learning modules for the Sustainable Investing Certificate.
Curriculum Topic | Topic Weight |
|---|---|
Introduction to Sustainable Investing | 8-15% |
Environmental Factors | 8-15% |
Social Factors | 8-15% |
Governance Factors | 8-15% |
Engagement and Stewardship | 5-10% |
ESG Analysis, Valuation and Integration | 20-30% |
ESG Integrated Portfolio Construction and Management | 10-20% |
Investment Mandates, Portfolio Analytics and Client Reporting | 5-10% |
The 2026 Sustainable Investing Certification curriculum had its introductory material consolidated compared to the 2025 syllabus. Besides that, no major changes were introduced in the 2026 syllabus.
Below are summaries of what changed in the latest version of the Sustainable Investing Certificate (formerly Certificate in ESG Investing) curriculum for 2026 compared to the 2025 curriculum.
This topic was renamed to “Introduction to Sustainable Investing” from “Introduction to ESG Investing”. The focus was shifted slightly from ESG investing to Sustainable investing. This curriculum topic was significantly expanded to include content from the former two learning modules "Introduction to ESG Investing” and “The ESG Market”.
This syllabus topic is mostly the same in 2026 but was renumbered. There were some minor adjustments in the learning outcomes, such as removing the specific list of opportunities (e.g., circular economy, blue economy) from the final learning outcome.
There were no changes to the learning outcomes for the social factors topic in 2026.
The learning outcomes in this curriculum topic about key characteristics of effective corporate governance (LO 4.2) was slightly simplified by removing explicit mentions of 'reporting and transparency,' 'financial integrity and capital allocation,' and 'business ethics' from the learning outcome description.
There were no changes to the learning outcomes for the Engagement and Stewardship topic in 2026.
There were no changes to the learning outcomes for the ESG Analysis, Valuation, and Integration topic in 2026.
There were no changes to the learning outcomes for the ESG Integrated Portfolio Construction and Management topic in 2026.
There were no changes to the learning outcomes for the Investment Mandates, Portfolio Analytics, and Client Reporting topic in 2026.
The CFA Institute makes changes to the curriculum for the Sustainable Investing Certificate (formerly Certificate in ESG Investing) exam annually.
As you get ready for the CFA Sustainable Investing Certificate exam, make the Kaplan Schweser Sustainable Investing Certificate Exam Prep Package (formerly Certificate in ESG Investing)—complete with ondemand videos, practice questions, and mock exams—the centerpiece of your mission to earn a passing score.
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