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Getting Started In Responsible Banking

  • Beginner
  • 10-15 Hours
  • Online
  • £100

About the Course 

Getting Started in Responsible Banking is the PRB Academy’s introductory course. It is aimed at all bank employees who would like to learn more about the Principles and practice of responsible banking so that they can support implementation of their bank’s strategy, serve their customers well, and reflect on what they personally can do to contribute to a more responsible banking profession and support the transition to a more sustainable world.

Aligning banking with society’s goals and embedding the Principles for Responsible Banking across the banking sector overall is a shared endeavour. Success requires policymakers, central banks and regulators, international organisations (such as UNEP FI), and banks and other financial institutions to consistently promote and support an ethos of responsible banking. It also requires building the capacity and capabilities of banks and bankers so that a strong, socially purposeful culture is developed and sustained where every professional financial decision takes account of climate, environmental and social sustainability factors.

Course Details and Modules

The aim of this course is to raise your awareness and knowledge of the concept of sustainability, what it means to be a responsible bank, the key role that banks play in the economy and society, what influences how a bank is governed, and how the Principles for Responsible Banking provide a framework for ensuring that banks’ strategies, activities and operations align with society’s goals as expressed in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Key objectives are to give you a basic knowledge and understanding of:

  • environmental and social sustainability issues that a bank’s lending and other activities have an impact on, and which also create risks and opportunities that have an impact on banks’ strategies and activities
  • banking, and how the governance, strategies, activities and operations of banks can both align with or detract from society’s goals
  • the principles and practice of responsible banking and sustainable finance
  • the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement, and how banks’ activities can both support and detract from the achievement of these
  • the UN Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and how these can be embedded in banks’ strategies, activities and operations
  • how the day-to-day practice of individual bankers like you can ensure that responsible banking in general, and the PRB in particular, are embedded in your bank and across the banking sector overall.

Getting Started in Responsible Banking consists of five units:

  1. Sustainability in Banking
  2. The Role of Banks and Banking in the Economy and Society
  3. Key Influences on Bank Governance
  4. The Principles for Responsible Banking
  5. Call to Action

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. explain the concept of sustainability and identify a range of environmental and social issues that must be addressed to support the needs of the present and those of future generations
  2. explain the purpose and core functions of a bank, the ways in which different types of banking can support the sustainability agenda, and recognise the key role that banks play in the economy and wider society
  3. describe key influences on bank governance in terms of stakeholders, strategy, purpose, drivers of, and approaches to, banking regulation, and the influence of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria on bank operations
  4. recognise the role of banking in supporting achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement
  5. describe, and explain the purpose of, the Principles for Responsible Banking and recognise the ways in which these are implemented in banking operations
  6. identify what banks can do, and what you personally can do, to help address environmental and social issues using the Principles for Responsible Banking as a framework to ensure a more responsible banking profession and support the transition to a more sustainable world.

What learning resources are available?

Your learning resources include:

  • interactive eLearning content
  • audio-visual resources
  • case studies
  • opportunities to reflect on your own professional and personal practice and create an action plan to help your bank embed the Principles for Responsible Banking and support the transition to a more sustainable world.

Certification

Upon completing this course, the user will be awarded a digital certificate and badge.

Our courses are designed to help banks and bankers implement the UN Principles for Responsible Banking

Clients And Customers

  • Specialist
  • 6-7 Hours
  • Online
  • £125

Clients and Customers is a specialist course designed to raise your awareness and knowledge of sustainability, what it means to be a responsible bank, and how you can encourage and support your clients and customers to transition to more sustainable practice.

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Climate Change

  • Specialist
  • 10-15 Hours
  • Online
  • £125

Climate Change is a specialist course designed to raise your awareness and knowledge of climate change, the impact that climate change has on society and banks, the impact that society and banks have on climate change, and of the PRB which provide a framework for ensuring that banks’ strategies, activities and operations align with society’s goals – including the management of climate change - as expressed in the UN SDGs, the Paris Climate Agreement, as well as other international agreements. 

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Responsible Banking For Board Members And Executives

  • Executive
  • 8-10 Hours
  • Online
  • £380

Responsible Banking for Board Members and Executives has been designed for those working at the higher levels of the banking world. Those with the power to make high-impact decisions hold a unique position in our collective journey towards responsible banking on a global scale.

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Introduction to Nature and Responsible Banking

  • Beginner
  • 2-5 Hours
  • Online
  • £125

Introduction to Nature and Responsible Banking is set within the context of the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) – the world’s leading sustainable banking framework. The aim of this course is to raise learners’ awareness of nature, the importance of our natural world, and how society and businesses rely on nature for their production needs and supply chains. This course shows why nature loss is a critical issue for a responsible bank, outlining key frameworks that banks can use to help assess their nature-related impacts and identify opportunities to have a more positive impact on nature. 

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Applying Nature-Responsible Banking

  • Specialist
  • 12-15 hours
  • Online
  • £125

Applying Nature-Responsible Banking is set within the context of the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) – the world’s leading sustainable banking framework.  

This course builds on the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) Academy’s Introduction to Nature and Responsible Banking course. While the introductory course aims to enhance knowledge and understanding of nature and why its health is so important for our people, planet, and profit, Applying Nature-Responsible Banking aims to help you apply a nature-responsible approach to banking, reducing negative impacts on nature and moving towards positive contributions.

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Introduction to Nature and Responsible Banking - French

  • Beginner
  • 2-5 Hours
  • Online
  • £125

Le cours sur L'introduction à la nature et à la banque responsable sensibilise à l'importance de la nature pour la société et les entreprises, en soulignant comment la perte de la nature affecte la banque responsable. Ce cours présente les principaux cadres que les banques peuvent utiliser pour évaluer leur impact sur la nature et identifier les possibilités d'action positive. Cette page de cours s'adresse aux personnes intéressées par l'apprentissage de L'introduction à la nature et à la banque responsable en français.

Please note that this course page is for the French version of the course, by filling in the application form you are applying to study the course in French.

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Introduction to Nature and Responsible Banking - Spanish

  • Beginner
  • 2-5 Hours
  • Online
  • £125

El curso Introducción a la naturaleza y banca responsable sensibiliza sobre la importancia de la naturaleza para la sociedad y las empresas, destacando cómo la pérdida de naturaleza afecta a la banca responsable. El curso esboza marcos clave que los bancos pueden utilizar para evaluar sus impactos relacionados con la naturaleza e identificar oportunidades de acción positiva. Esta página del curso es para todas aquellas personas interesadas en aprender sobre la Introducción a la naturaleza y banca responsable en español.

Please note that this course page is for the Spanish version of the course, by filling in the application form you are applying to study the course in Spanish.

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Applying Nature-Responsible Banking - French

  • Specialist
  • 12-15 hours
  • Online
  • £125

Le cours sur La banque responsable appliquée à la nature est basé sur le cours l'Introduction à la nature et à la banque responsable de l’Académie des PBR. Alors que le cours d'introduction explique pourquoi la nature est importante, ce cours se concentre sur la façon dont les banques peuvent réduire les dommages causés à la nature et apporter des changements positifs. Il aide les participants à développer des compétences qui profitent à la fois aux banques et à l'environnement. Cette page de cours s'adresse aux personnes intéressées par l'apprentissage de La banque responsable appliquée à la nature en français.

This course page is for the French version of the course, by filling in the application form you are applying to study the course in French.

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Applying Nature-Responsible Banking - Spanish

  • Specialist
  • 12-15 hours
  • Online
  • £125

El curso Aplicando la naturaleza – Banca responsable se basa en el curso Introducción a la naturaleza y banca responsable de la Academia de los PBR. Mientras que el curso introductorio explica por qué la naturaleza es importante, este curso se centra en cómo los bancos pueden reducir el daño a la naturaleza y hacer cambios positivos. Esto ayuda a los participantes a desarrollar habilidades que benefician tanto a los bancos como al medio ambiente. Esta página del curso está dirigida a todas aquellas personas interesadas en aprender sobre Aplicando la naturaleza – Banca responsable en español.

Please note that this course page is for the Spanish version of the course, by filling in the application form you are applying to study the course in Spanish.

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