While the scientific consensus is that climate change associated with global warming is in progress, the scale and timing of its impacts are uncertain. The effects of climate change could potentially have a wide-ranging impact on health and mortality, physical assets, and financial markets.
The areas of actuarial work in which climate-related risks play a role are many. They include, for example, both assets and liability issues in pensions and insurance.
Actuaries cannot ignore climate change risks. Increasingly key stakeholders (for example company boards and regulators) are also expecting actuaries to consider the potential impact of climate risks.
It is therefore the IFoA’s goal that climate-related risk is understood and considered by our members in the same way as other major risks such as interest rate risk and mortality risk.
This is an 8-week online course. The estimated weekly study time commitment for the course is 8 to 10 hours. This course has been designed to be taken anywhere in the world.
More information about the course is contained in the Climate Risk and Sustainability Course General Information booklet.
The course is open to all our members: Fellows, Associates, Affiliates, and students, whatever your background or experience in this area. No prior knowledge is required.
The purpose of this course is to provide members who complete the course with an understanding of:
It is not intended that the successful completion of the course would make an actuary a climate risk or sustainability expert.
The course should be seen as an enabler to stimulate interest and a potential platform for further study.
The course is broken down into 9 manageable modules. Modules 1 to 4 and 6 to 8 are self-study modules, while modules 5 and 9 are half-day online seminars that have to be attended.
View the full syllabus (290 KB PDF)
Booking for the April 2024 course is now closed.
The dates for the 2024 courses and the seminars for each are:
To receive the certificate, attendance at both seminars is required.
You can register your interest in courses later in 2024 and we will update you nearer the time. By completing this expression of interest form you will be given priority booking and notified about the course you are interested in. This happens before we notify the wider membership that bookings are open.
The cost is £580*, which includes:
*A reduced rate fee is available which is £375 to members who qualify for the discount. Details about reduced rates are available on our exam and other fees page.
To find out more about the course, read our FAQs.