Firms have been keen to sign up to the UK's first ESG training program, with strong interest in rolling it out overseas.

As ESG continues to permeate nerve and sinew, it is little surprise that the investment principles have found their way into the classroom. The CFA last week announced its first formal certificate in ESG investing, which the institute said would be open to finance professionals from across the sector and would begin next month.

The body representing around 12,000 investment professionals in the UK said that 500 candidates have “already signed up” to complete the course and can sit exams as early as December 2.

The arrival of formal training underscores the swift uptake in demand for ESG skills and knowledge in the sector worldwide. There has been a growing chorus among investment managers and journalists alike that ESG investing has become a broad church crying out for less eulogy and more clarity.

Industry professionals from 60 firms have already taken part in a pilot organized by the CFA in September to stress-test that training methods are fit for purpose, the CFA said.

Those already involved in the pilot come from a wide spectrum, including asset owners and managers, consultants and pension providers. Among senior managers taking part, 32 per cent had earned the CFA designation, and 34 per cent hold the Investment Management Certificate, the institute said.

It hopes to launch the qualification shortly in other markets and said it will roll out to CFA affiliates in Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Ireland, France, Spain and Denmark in January 2020.

The director of education at CFA UK, Christina Curtin, said of the effort: “We have already seen a high level of interest from investment professionals, including a great response from overseas. Improving understanding of ESG, which is increasingly important to investors, is now vital to the success of the profession, and we are pleased that firms and individuals are reacting so well.”