Mr. Antoine Mach, you are Program Director of the ISFB Sustainable Finance Certificate. Can you tell us about this new program and who it is aimed at?

The ISFB Sustainable Finance Certificate offers an overview of sustainable finance. It explains how this theme has developed since the early 2000s, under the impetus of a specialized ecosystem, the United Nations and major institutional investors. It presents the principles, players and regulations governing this field, as well as the practical tools that are being deployed: sustainable investment and financing strategies, performance measurements based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, and impact measurements.

This training course is given at ISFB over 4 non-consecutive days. It is aimed primarily at employees in the banking and financial sector who work in contact with private or institutional customers; it is also designed to be useful for middle and senior managers wishing to learn more about this topic, which contains strategic aspects for financial institutions.

In your opinion, what makes this program so rich and high quality?

This program offers a mix of theoretical knowledge, essential for understanding the ins and outs of a rapidly evolving field, and practical knowledge applied on a daily basis by finance professionals. It benefits from the contributions of numerous practitioners specializing in the field, who share their knowledge in a dynamic, interactive format. The aim is not to impose a dogmatic, guilt-ridden vision, but on the contrary to give participants the tools they need to know, understand and appropriate this topic, so as to be able to approach their customers and counterparties with confidence and serenity.

What are the major challenges facing sustainable finance today?

Firstly, sustainable finance is and remains a complex subject, as it must take into account the combination of economic, social and environmental factors and translate them into financial terms. The second challenge is that, reflecting the pluralism that characterizes democratic societies, sustainable finance is marked by a diversity of motivations, definitions, approaches, modes of evaluation, etc. For example, it involves both risk management and the consideration of moral values in financial decisions. Thirdly, there may be a tension between the ambitions of sustainable finance, which by definition are expressed over a long timeframe, and the short-term approaches that may prevail in finance. Finally, the last challenge facing sustainable finance is that of credibility: how can we demonstrate that an investment presented as "green", "sustainable" or "responsible" delivers on its promises in terms of social and environmental impact, and change in the real economy? This raises the suspicion of greenwashing, which is often the result of misunderstandings rather than bad faith.

What is your role as Program Director?

My role is to ensure that the program is coherent, that there is a common thread enabling participants to acquire the required skills efficiently. In particular, this means ensuring that relevant content is included in the program, and proposing the right mix of speakers. The lecturers are seasoned professionals active in the French-speaking world's financial sector, and recognized experts in the field of sustainable finance.

Antoine Mach

Program Director and Managing Partner (Covalence)