Manama, Bahrain: CFA Society Bahrain, the local society of investment professionals, announces today that it will market the CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing in Bahrain. The education program represents a new global qualification for ESG in investment management; it aims to strengthen market integrity by delivering the benchmark knowledge and skills required by investment professionals to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into the investment process.

With 76% of institutional investors and 69% of retail investors declaring an interest in ESG, according to a CFA Institute survey, the Certificate will enable the industry to evolve by placing sustainable practices at the forefront of investment considerations, ultimately contributing to more holistic financial analysis.

The Certificate is designed to meet the needs of practitioners in investment roles who want to learn how to analyze and integrate material ESG factors into their daily investment analysis practice. It is also suitable for anyone looking to improve their understanding of ESG issues in functions such as sales and distribution, wealth management, product development, financial advice, consulting and risk.

Lamees Al Baharna CFA Chair of ESG Committee at CFA Society Bahrain commented: "We are pleased to introduce this certificate in Bahrain to offer an opportunity for investment professionals to develop valuable skills and insights needed to integrate ESG factors (environmental, social, and governance) into the investment process to help meet the needs of their clients and deliver value to their firms”.

Margaret Franklin, CFA, president and CEO of CFA Institute, added:

“We are seeing a real acceleration of interest in ESG investing – a major development that will shape the future of finance – while increased demand from clients and investment management firms has fueled the need for education. This Certificate is the first of its kind to be made available globally, and will equip practitioners with foundational knowledge and competencies, enabling them to better serve the needs of their clients and contribute to building trust within the industry.”

The Certificate is a self-study course requiring approximately 130 hours of study, culminating in a two hour, 20 minute computer-based exam comprising 100 questions at a proctored testing center or via online proctored testing, where available and/or permissible by local regulation. Candidates have one year to sit the exam after registration, and there are no formal entry requirements. On successful completion of the exam, candidates will be awarded a certificate. The cost, which covers the exam and online learning, is $675 and candidates can claim 20 CE credits upon passing the exam.

The Certificate in ESG Investing was developed by CFA Society of the United Kingdom in consultation with leading practitioners and firms. Over 10,000 candidates have registered for the Certificate in ESG Investing since the product launched in September 2019, highlighting the global success of the new certificate.     

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For further information, please contact pr@cfainstitute.org

About CFA Society Bahrain

CFA Society Bahrain is an association of local investment professionals consisting of portfolio managers, investment advisors, educators and other financial professionals. The Society was incorporated and registered in June 2006 as the Bahrain Investment

Professionals Society (BIPS) as a member society of the CFA Institute. Consequently, consistent with the nomenclature of member societies of CFA Institute worldwide, BIPS adopted the commonly known moniker of CFA Society Bahrain. The Society was initially founded with a membership of 26 professionals at inauguration. Today the society boasts a membership of more than 250 members making it the second largest CFA society in the Middle East. Since inception, the Society has brought a number of successful and highly popular events to the local community supported by its alliance with the region’s most prominent financial institutions. The Society continues to play a key role in advancing the community’s human capital mainly through supporting candidates enrolled in the CFA Program.

About CFA Institute

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organization is a champion of ethical behavior in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. Our aim is to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. There are more than 160,000 CFA charterholders worldwide in 164 markets. CFA Institute has nine offices worldwide and there are 161 local member societies. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org or follow on Twitter at @CFAInstitute and on Facebook.com/CFAInstitute.