CFA UK, the professional body for Chartered Financial Analysts, is to launch of a new qualification in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing which will be available to investment professionals later this year.

The new exam was announced at the CFA Institute’s Annual Global Conference in London which is taking place this week at the Excel centre with nearly 2,000 delegates attending.

The Certificate in ESG Investing will be recognised and supported by the PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment), a global body for responsible investment.

The CFA believes the certificate will be the first formal qualification on ESG investing available to investment professionals in the UK and follows rapid growth in ESG investment principles in recent years.

The qualification will set out the fundamentals for ESG investing and will equip professionals with the skills and knowledge to integrate ESG issues into their day-to-day work, says the CFA.

It has been designed for investment professionals in all roles, from asset management to sales and distribution, as well as students seeking a career in the investment sector.

The syllabus covers broad issues such as the development of ESG investing and narrower, technical issues such as portfolio construction. The qualification has been modelled on CFA UK’s existing popular Investment Management Certificate (IMC).

A pilot exam with professionals from firms including HSBC and Vanguard is scheduled to take place in early September. The first official open sitting of the exam will be available from 1 December.

Will Goodhart, chief executive of CFA UK, said: “CFA UK’s purpose is to make sure that investment professionals are technically and ethically competent to serve their clients well.”