CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing: What BlackRock and Goldman Sachs Really Think

Kateryna Myrko
Dec 10
5 min read

The CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing has moved from niche credential to mainstream signal of competence in ESG and sustainability analytics. As firms like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs scale sustainable finance businesses, the question for candidates is simple: does this certificate actually matter to employers of that size – and what do these firms really think about sustainable investing skills?

What the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing Actually Is

The CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing (formerly the Certificate in ESG Investing) is a specialist qualification from CFA Institute designed to teach practitioners how to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment decisions. It focuses on:

ESG data and materiality
Integration techniques in equity, fixed income and alternatives
Stewardship, engagement and active ownership
Regulation, standards and disclosure frameworks CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing , BlackRock, Goldman Sachs

CFA Institute positions it as a globally relevant, product-agnostic program meant for portfolio managers, analysts, salespeople and product specialists, not just ESG “specialists.”

Since launch, the program has attracted over 60,000 registrations globally by mid-2025, making it one of the largest sustainability credentials in finance. This scale matters: it signals to large employers that the certificate has reached a critical mass in the talent market.

Why the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing Matters to Large Asset Managers CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing , BlackRock, Goldman Sachs

Global ESG and sustainable investing are no longer peripheral. Estimates suggest ESG-labelled or sustainability-related assets exceed USD 17.5 trillion worldwide, with ESG-linked products continuing to grow rapidly across major markets. At the same time, CFA Institute’s own research has highlighted a skills gap: firms want investment professionals who can embed ESG thinking into mainstream portfolio construction, not just “tick a box.”

For large buy-side institutions, that translates into three concrete needs:

Analysts who can distinguish signal from noise in ESG data
Portfolio managers who can translate sustainability themes into risk/return views
Client-facing staff who can explain sustainable strategies without greenwashing

The curriculum of the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing is designed to target exactly those functions, which is why you now see it in the profiles of professionals in ESG roles at institutional managers, insurers and banks worldwide.

BlackRock and the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing

BlackRock is explicit that sustainable investing is a core part of its product set, not a side business. Its latest sustainability disclosure reports describe a sustainable investing platform spanning index, active, cash and private market strategies, including “thematic” and “impact” strategies aiming for measurable sustainability outcomes alongside financial

At the same time, BlackRock emphasises:

Integration of ESG data across investment teams, not just in dedicated funds
Strong stewardship and engagement as a tool to manage risk and influence issuers
Building internal sustainability expertise as a strategic people investment

That has two implications for the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing:

Skills, not labels, are what matter. BlackRock does not publicly endorse a single credential, but its model depends on analysts and PMs who can handle ESG datasets, materiality assessments and policy/regulatory detail. The certificate is aligned with this need – it is practical, focused on integration, and recognized globally.
The credential signals commitment in a contested space. BlackRock has faced political pushback in some US states for its approach to ESG and climate issues.The Corporate Governance Institute In that environment, professionals who can engage clients and regulators with technically sound, non-ideological ESG analysis are valuable. The certificate helps demonstrate that capability.

Put simply: BlackRock “really thinks” about sustainable investing as an extension of core investment practice. A candidate with the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing is not guaranteed an interview, but the skills the program builds are directly relevant to how the firm structures its sustainable and transition investment platform.

Goldman Sachs, Sustainable Finance and the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing

Goldman Sachs has made sustainability a defined commercial priority. The firm has set a goal to mobilize USD 750 billion in sustainable finance by 2030, across financing, investing and advisory activities. Its asset management arm’s responsible and sustainable investing statement emphasizes:

Incorporating ESG information into product-specific strategies
Using exclusions and screens where appropriate
Ensuring sustainable and impact strategies remain “financially sound” for

In a 2025 piece aimed at advisors and allocators, Goldman Sachs Asset Management reinforced that “sustainable investing is investing first and foremost,” and that robust portfolio construction and risk management remain central, even when pursuing sustainability themes.

How does the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing fit here?

For front-office roles (portfolio managers, ESG product specialists, alternatives and impact teams), the certificate supports the ability to translate sustainability narratives into concrete investment theses and trackable outcomes. That aligns with Goldman’s focus on performance, not just branding.
For advisory and capital markets, understanding sustainable taxonomies, regulatory developments and green/social bond structures is increasingly a baseline expectation. The certificate’s coverage of regulation, labelling and disclosure frameworks is directly relevant to this business.

Goldman Sachs does not officially “require” the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing, but job descriptions across sustainability, impact and ESG product roles frequently list ESG analytical skills and familiarity with ESG frameworks. The certificate is one efficient way to evidence that.

Is the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing Worth It for Your Career?

Given what BlackRock and Goldman Sachs are actually doing – building large sustainable finance platforms, integrating ESG data into investment processes, and responding to client demand for sustainable solutions – the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing is best viewed as:

A skills accelerator for professionals who already work with portfolios, research, product or client advisory and need structured ESG knowledge.
A credible signal in a crowded sustainability education market, backed by CFA Institute and used by tens of thousands of practitioners globally.
Not a silver bullet. Neither BlackRock nor Goldman Sachs will hire purely on the basis of a certificate. Practical experience, modelling skills, capital markets knowledge and clear communication still dominate.

If your goal is to work on sustainable investing or ESG-linked products at firms like BlackRock or Goldman Sachs, pairing strong traditional finance skills (quantitative analysis, portfolio construction, capital markets) with the CFA Certificate in Sustainable Investing is a realistic way to position yourself as someone who can talk both “returns” and “sustainability” in the same sentence – which is exactly what those institutions expect from their teams.

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