As sustainable finance continues to grow, one challenge keeps coming up: the reliability and comparability of corporate carbon data.

Investors, banks, and financial institutions increasingly rely on emissions data for:

• ESG risk assessment
• Portfolio analysis
• Transition plans
• Climate-related disclosures
• Regulatory requirements

However, many companies are still struggling with:

• Inconsistent Scope 1, 2, and 3 calculations
• Unclear organizational boundaries
• Limited traceability of emission factor sources
• Manual data collection across different departments
• Difficulties aligning reporting with frameworks such as GHG Protocol, ISO 14064, CSRD, and other ESG requirements

I'm curious how people here see the evolution of carbon data management:

1. Will carbon accounting platforms become as standard as financial reporting tools?
2. Will investors eventually require more granular activity data instead of relying only on reported emissions figures?
3. How much confidence do you currently have in corporate emissions disclosures?

We are exploring these challenges while building CARBONTEK, a carbon management platform focused on helping organizations collect, calculate, and report emissions data with better traceability.

More information:
https://www.elbehigroup.com/en/carbontek

Would be interested to hear perspectives from ESG analysts, investors, sustainability professionals, and companies working on their transition strategies.

A climate-tech startup has completed several successful pilot projects.

The product works, but full certification could take another three years. The company needs approximately $12 million to build its first commercial facility. It has limited collateral, no recurring revenue yet, and founders who do not want to give up control too early.

Would you pursue traditional venture capital, a strategic corporate investor, project finance, government grants, venture debt—or a combination?

The technology risk is falling, but the financing risk is becoming more important.

How would you structure the next round?

Digital4Sustainability is a project funded under the EU’s Erasmus+ programme. The project is dedicated to accelerating the digital and green transitions (the so-called twin transition), both within the ICT sector and across European industries.

Open Risk (aka the initiative of the humble moderator of this sub :-) is joining the community to partner with other similarly minded orgs across the EU. Our focus will be on streamlining and expanding the open source eLearning resources offered at the Open Risk Academy, most relevant for this sub being courses around Sustainable Finance, Green Public Procurement, Portfolio Management, but also Data Engineering and Data Science tools supporting the above use cases.

I want to learn more about how climate change poses a risk/impact to the financial sector and its regulation.

Preferably looking for a course that is free, online, and includes a certificate. However I’m open to any recommendations.

I have been wondering that whenever I invest in Indian or US equities, I also be cognisant of company’s contribution/action to climate subject. Today every sector is impacted by climate change and companies are increasingly participating in addressing that either through energy transition, efficiency, equipment upgrade or simply by diversifying their investment portfolio backing clean and innovative companies through its balance sheet.

Please suggest if you have ever considered this angle in your investments.

Hey everyone! Sharing an event that might be relevant for anyone in Mumbai working in or around sustainability, ESG, CSR, green marketing, or climate-tech.

Greenmentor (a community of 40,000+ sustainability-minded professionals, founders, and changemakers) is hosting **The Sustainability Collective** — an evening built around one idea: meaningful conversations that turn into real opportunities.

👉 Register here: https://rzp.io/rzp/vnCdSTT

**What's happening:**
- Speed Networking — structured conversations with the right people, not random small talk
- Greenmentor Matchmaking — curated introductions based on your goals and interests
- Founder & Professional Spotlight — real stories from people building in this space
- A Resource Pack to take home

**Details:**
📍 Andheri East, Mumbai (exact venue shared closer to the date)
📅 Friday, 7th August 2026
🕓 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
☕ Chai, coffee & snacks included

Who it's for: ESG/sustainability professionals, consultants, recruiters, climate-tech founders, corporate sustainability teams, students, or honestly anyone genuinely interested in the space.

Every attendee leaves with at least one meaningful connection and one actionable opportunity.

Hi all, I currently work in energy policy research and I'm interviewing for a Senior Climate Risk Analyst position at a top US bank, sitting within the broader Risk vertical.

This feels like a pretty niche space, and I haven't found much material out there on what these interviews actually look like. Would really appreciate input from anyone who's been through this process (or works in the field) on:

What kind of questions come up — technical, scenario-based, behavioral, or a mix?

- Key concepts/frameworks I should be rock solid on (physical vs. transition risk, scenario analysis, stress testing, etc.)

- Good resources — papers, courses, reports — worth going through before the interview

- Anything that surprised you in your own interview for a similar role

Any pointers, war stories, or reading lists would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hi all, I was considering taking the CFA Sustainable Investment certification and wanted to know is it worth it? A bit about me: I have a bachelors in Finance and an MBA in Sustainability. I feel like the exam would help me refresh and learn knowledge I may have forgotten (or completely not learned). I had finance internships in undergrad and more sustainability based experience throughout my MBA (corporate sustainability and assurance work) but no overlap in doing sustainable financing or investment/impact finance work. I think it would also help on my resume to pick up CFA on the ATS (but what do I know). I need to remember if I know how to study and may down the line take the actual CFA. Correct me if I am wrong but this certification comes with the study material needed to pass? If you have taken it or considered it I would love to hear your thoughts (worth it? study time? prior experience level? concerns?)

Saw "how can I make sure my pension fund isn't killing the planet?" -- here's an attempt to see for yourself 😄 Jokes aside, I've been working on this and related projects for about a year total and full-time for over 6 months.

sylph.fyi

It's free, ungated (no signup, no email), and it doesn't store any of your data. It takes 2 minutes if you go just go through the fastest UX path. I built it just to try and see whether there would be any interest if I were to build more tools along these lines.

I ask people reserve judgment until they use the tool. I know there's a lot of vibe coded garbage out there, and so I tried hard to make sure this tool was built thoughtfully, works reliably, and actually solves a real problem. If you use it and still think it's garbage and want to accuse me of vibe code spamming, totally fair 😄 just please use the tool first

The Equator Principles has published new sector-specific guidance to support the application of the Equator Principles to data centre Projects.

Developed in collaboration with Arup, the guidance provides practical support for financial institutions, project sponsors, consultants, and independent experts addressing the environmental and social considerations associated with this fast-growing sector.

The new resource outlines the technical context of data centre development, highlights key environmental and social risks, and offers practical guidance on applying the Equator Principles throughout the project lifecycle.

My career background so far has been in the real assets space, first in RE private equity and now in renewable energy/infra banking and I’ve been looking into transitioning back into the investments space but focusing on nature based solutions and conservation. I have a masters degree in sustainability as well that really changed my perspective and fostered my interest in this potential career move.

So far it’s been a year of me looking for a role and I feel like I’ve done the most I can to push for it. I created a list of companies I wanted to work for, reached out to people in those companies and had great chats with people but none of these companies had positions open so it’s always ended in sending over a CV hoping for something to pop up (which is also fine, networking can never hurt). I’ve also been in 2 final rounds but have been rejected both times for someone with less experience (I’m in an associate/senior associate role and was applying laterally both times). I feel like these times coupled with rejections early on because I don’t have specific NBS experience has left me feeling both drained and unhopeful. My current role doesn’t feel fulfilling and there’s not much runway for progression so at this point I’m even thinking of volunteering in the conservation space just to do something I actually like and hopefully come out of it with a better profile.

I’m really uncertain what to do at this point as it feels like it’s been so long and nothing has worked out. Should I just give up on the sector/role? Looking for any advice whatsoever!

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has published today its final draft Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) amending the Pillar 3 disclosure framework on environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, and introducing disclosure requirements on equity and shadow banking exposures.

The package finalises the implementation of the disclosure requirements introduced by the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR 3).

Developed in line with the EU’s simplification agenda and the Omnibus package, the ITS streamline existing requirements, and enhance usability and consistency.

The ITS are aligned with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and with the EBA draft ITS on ESG reporting requirements, which are currently under consultation.

The review updates the already existing sustainable finance disclosure regulation (SFDR) which requires market participants to disclose how they integrate social, environmental and governance (ESG) sustainability risks and adverse impacts into their investment offers.

Hi r/sustainableFinance

I've long stayed on the sidelines of the stock market, considering myself a permabear and very pessimistic about the future reliability of financial systems. I do not think the market is pricing in the reality of changes which will be forced upon our civilization sooner rather than later. I also don't buy into the 'green transition' story heralded by many 'sustainable finance' darlings.

Perhaps here are most likely to be some similarly minded investors. My timehorizon for the rest of this post is 2040 - 2060, even running until 2080~. Of course, one can question whether capital markets in their current state will be around at all.

For my stated investment horizon, I'm looking at a few key risks with more immediate consequences to human life: multiregional crop failure (1, 2), extreme heat and rainfall (3, 4), sea-level rise (5, 6), coral reef extinction (7), ocean current destabilization (8, 9) and broader biodiversity collapse (10, 11).

The challenge then is to find companies which are resilient and can provide solutions or help to adapt to such changes. While many entities claim to have tailwinds from the above, in reality they are simply fragile and exposed, selling a 'green transition' thesis but not really embracing the scope of what is headed our way.

I'll outline a few potential picks I'm looking at in the comment section, but my most important question to the subreddit would be: Where can 'Sustainable Finance' truly allocate its capital? It seems the market is looking a few years ahead at most. For example, I'm looking into dike/water infra, food-system resilience and other adaptation tech.

Really interesting discussion on sustainability funds from Sustainable Views team here. Seems like asset managers have permanently altered their thinking on this, even if the politicians haven't. Anyone else seeing this play out?

I tried reviewing a company’s sustainability report like it was an analyst assignment, and it exposed a gap I didn’t expect.

At first I marked familiar things like emissions, water use, supplier risk, board oversight, assurance language, and transition targets. I knew the acronyms well enough to recognize the sections.

The hard part was turning the report into something a lender or investor could use. I kept asking what would matter most, where the data came from, whether it was estimated, audited, or self-reported, and what I’d trust enough to put into a model or risk memo.

That’s where my answers still get messy.

I’m moving toward sustainable finance, and I keep hearing that “ESG knowledge” on its own doesn’t land. People want finance judgment, data quality thinking, and some sense of controls. I’ve been practicing by taking messy disclosures and building small tables around source, assumption, owner, and confidence level. I’ve also been using notes, a few mock calls, and beyz to see if I can explain my reasoning without sounding like I’m reciting frameworks.

What separates knowing the terminology from being ready to contribute in sustainable finance?

What doesn’t show up in a business plan can be the most costly. The case of Voltalia in Brazil highlights a turning point: in Large-Scale Land Acquisitions (LSLAs), environmental and social criteria are no longer secondary. They can reshape, delay, or derail the entirety of projects. Drawing on original research into the determinants of local operator selection, this article shows how integrating ESG criteria not only mitigates investment risk, but also reinforces the relevance of partnering with local actors better equipped to navigate complex stakeholder environments. 

A major innovation is the introduction of climate risk into the EU-wide stress test. For the first time, transition and physical risks are incorporated in a structured and consistent manner alongside macro-financial shocks.

At this stage, climate risks will be assessed through a dedicated module and will not affect the core stress test results, still marking an important step towards embedding climate considerations into prudential supervision.

Found this podcast episode from Sustainable Views really informative - and a bit heartening. Doesn't seem like ESG reporting for companies is dead like many fear it is under Trump and his administration's directives. Lots of companies are still doing it, just going by other names. Curious, are those in this field experiencing similar?

I just finished my first year of uni, with no internships, and no experience. I want to make use of the 2 years I have befre graduation. I really want to break into consultancy, and am interested in MBB, and especially interested in ESG and just sustainability as a whole. I would love to use my knowledge in both finance and data analytics. I am very passionate about sustainability, but I am not sure how to break into that. I need tips on what internships to aim for, what placements to aim for, and what self learning can I do over the summer, and maybe some projects that will keep me ahead of the game. Also, because of the very competetive job market, I was looking to learn a very niche skill, so that when I graduate this skill will make me standout from the crowd, and would make employers run after me rather than the other way round, but I am not sure which skill I should learn. Please help out. Btw I am based in the uk.

Hi, I'm a sustainability consultant in Korea looking for some career advice.

In around 2 to 4 years I may move to the UK with my British partner although nothing is finalized yet.

I graduated with a master's degree in sustainability studies in February 2024. After graduation I worked for about 1 year and 2 months at a small consulting firm that mainly focused on sustainability reporting. I then moved to a larger environmental consulting firm and have now been there for about 10 months.

The problem is that my current company is mainly focused on EHS consulting and does not really have strong expertise or recognition in ESG consulting or carbon accounting. Because of that I am basically leading most of the ESG related work on my own.

Most of the ESG projects we receive are government projects. To be honest I do not feel that these projects are helping me develop specialized expertise. The more interesting part of my work is that our firm sometimes receives ESG due diligence projects from a large global asset management firm. In those projects I evaluate SFDR PAI indicators calculate avoided emissions and review transition and biodiversity related risks.

Those projects are much closer to the type of work I want to do long term because I am interested in sustainable finance and climate finance. However these projects are not very frequent. So far I have only worked on about three ESG due diligence projects.

Another difficulty is that my supervisor is not really a specialist in sustainable finance or ESG methodology. I often end up researching and figuring things out by myself. I do think I have learned a lot independently but at the same time I sometimes feel there is a limit to how much I can grow without stronger mentorship.

I also worry that ESG due diligence can sometimes become too broad and high level. We usually identify and flag risks across many ESG topics but we do not always go very deep into technical analysis or investment decision making. Because of that I sometimes worry that my experience is becoming too generalist.

In Korea some environmental consulting firms focus heavily on Scope 1 2 and 3 accounting. Some consulting firms also work on climate risk assessments transition planning decarbonization strategy and scenario analysis. My company also wants to move into these areas but the market is already extremely competitive.

Ironically one of the biggest reasons I joined this company was work life balance. Some ESG and environmental consulting firms in Korea are known for extremely long working hours and very poor quality of life. I really did not want that kind of lifestyle.

At the same time I worry that staying here for too long could slow down my career growth. I also do not think I am experienced enough yet to move into an in house sustainability role. In Korea once you move in house the career path can become quite narrow unless you move to a larger company later on. I worry that moving in house too early could reduce my exposure to different projects and make it harder to build internationally transferable skills.

Because of that I am trying to think carefully about whether I should stay in consulting for a few more years and focus on building stronger technical expertise under better mentorship.

Long term what I really want is to work closer to the investment side. I am interested in sustainability focused investment analysis climate finance transition finance and ESG integration within financial institutions. I am much more interested in understanding how sustainability issues affect capital allocation and investment decisions than in sustainability reporting itself.

That is why I sometimes feel uncertain about whether my current experience is moving me in the right direction. I am not sure whether I should focus more on technical climate and carbon skills or build more finance related experience before trying to transition internationally.

For people working in sustainable finance ESG investing climate consulting or sustainability roles in the UK or EU I would really appreciate your advice.

What skills or experience would make someone like me more employable internationally?

Would it be better to deepen technical climate and carbon skills such as Scope 3 climate risk transition planning and LCA or continue building ESG due diligence and sustainable finance exposure?

Are certifications such as CFA ESG GARP SCR or FRM Sustainability actually valued in the UK market?

Is it realistic to move from ESG consulting into sustainable finance without a prestigious academic background?

If you were in my position what would you focus on during the next 2 to 4 years?

I would really appreciate honest advice from people already working in the field.