The new qualification provides an overview and introduction to the world of impact investing, another example of how impact investing is a topic and discipline in its own right.

UK-based CFA Society has just launched its Certificate in Impact Investing, a qualification aimed at investment professionals seeking an introduction to the field of impact investing. 

The certificate is a self-study course requiring a recommended 130 hours of study. Its syllabus covers impact investment philosophy, strategy and implementation, asset classes and products in private and public markets, impact selection, measurement, management, monitoring and reporting, the organisation said in a statement.

The arrival of such a course is an example of how impact investing is now recognised as a key subject for financial sector professilonals to grasp. The CFA has also made moves in areas such as ESG investing, and the impact of AI, for example.

The structure of the course will help candidates develop an understanding of the shape and size of the market, as well as gaining skills to implement impact strategies, including how to develop theories of change and measurement frameworks. 

Candidates will have 12 months from starting the course to sit the exam. On completion, successful candidates will be awarded the Certificate in Impact Investing, the firm added. 

The Certificate in Impact Investing is the latest qualification to be launched by CFA UK, following its Certificate in Climate & Investing and the Certificate in ESG Investing, showing how seriously the sector takes a subject.

“Impact investing seeks to create real world positive outcomes for people, places and the planet in contrast to ESG which largely focuses on risk factors and performance within a portfolio,” CFA UK’s co-chairs of the Certificate in Impact Investing panel, Rebecca Macdonald, managing director, head of investment management, Big Society Capital and Evita Chiang Zanuso, head of strategic partnerships, Katapult Foundation, said in a statement.

“Impact investments can take countless forms and come in many different shapes and sizes, but the framework that underpins impact investing remains consistent. As client demand for positive impact alongside financial return increases, investment professionals need to respond accordingly to understand the discipline, its application and the different ways it can be delivered,” they added.  

“It has been a privilege to work with a talented team of investment professionals to develop this qualification which we know will be a key milestone in the further development and growth of impact investing more generally,” they continued.

CFA UK is a community of 12,000 investment professionals, part of the worldwide network of CFA Institute member societies.