Climate Change Management

INSTRUCTOR
Dr Winston Chow is an Associate Professor of Urban Climate at SMU’s College of Integrative Studies. His current research is on urban vulnerability to climate change, urban heat island adaptation and mitigation, and environmental perceptions in tourism.
He is a Principal Investigator for the Cooling Singapore initiative, and was selected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a Lead Author for their chapter on “Cities, Settlements and Key Infrastructure” in the Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change. He enjoys talking and writing about these research issues, and he tweets sporadically on many topics (unrelated to climate change) at @winstontlchow.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This IBF-STS accredited course introduces participants from the financial sector to climate change management. It provides participants with a better understanding of the key climate change concepts, principles, and risk management issues relevant to the organisation’s activities. After first ensuring that participants have a basic understanding of the climate science concepts, we will then move the discussion to the main international agreements and frameworks on climate change, followed by concepts on climate reporting frameworks, guidelines, and principles. Next, participants will be made aware of the various financial sector’s economic and market risks i.e., physical and transition risks, and opportunities arising from climate change. Finally, we conclude the course by discussing the key sources of climate risks and potential transmission channels through which they can impact and be impacted by the financial sector performance of the organisation or materially impact sustainability factors.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES
At the end of the course, participants in the financial sector should fulfil the following learning outcomes:

• Disciplinary and multidisciplinary knowledge: Participants will understand how the confluence of scientific, social scientific, and humanities knowledge is essential to understanding climate change.
• Global knowledge: Participants will understand the main i) international agreements and frameworks on climate change, and ii) sustainability and climate change reporting frameworks.
• Global citizenship: Participants will be aware of how climate change risks, as well as various local, global, and personal actions and decisions, can impact the larger international community (sectors, firms, individuals) through the larger-scale climate system.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION
Online: Learn at your own pace and convenience.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Bankers, Asset Managers, Insurance Professionals, Policymakers, Consultants, Accountants, finance industry professionals

FORMAT

CONTENT UNITS/MODULES
5 content units/modules (lectures + core readings + assessments):

• Module 1: Basic Climate Science Concepts
• Module 2: International Agreements and Frameworks on Climate Change
• Module 3: Concepts of Climate Reporting Frameworks, Guidelines and Principles
• Module 4: Risks Arising from Climate Change
• Module 5: What Can Be Done to Lower Climate Risks?

ASSESSMENT 
The course is assessed based on the standard IBF accreditation scheme.

• Individual assessment percentages are 20% per course unit/module
• MCQ format
• Overall passing rate: 80% or more overall and at least 50% per module

COURSE FEE & FUNDING
SGD 500. This course is recognised under the Standards Training Scheme (STS) and eligible for STS claims, subject to all eligibility criteria being met. Please refer to the IBF website for more information.  

QUESTIONS?
For enquiries on course registration through the iLearn platform, please contact the IMAS secretariat at ilearn@imas.org.sg or call 6223 7213.

For general enquiries, please email SGFC at sgfc@smu.edu.sg.