SASB Launches Next Level of Groundbreaking FSA Credential

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board^™ (SASB^™) today launched Level II of its Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) Credential. The first-of-its-kind, two-part credential provides training on how to identify, manage, and analyze the sustainability issues that affect the financial performance of a company.

"The demand for investment management professionals prepared to evaluate the linkage between a firm's ESG (sustainability) exposure and value continues to grow in capital markets across the globe," says Bobby Lamy, Head of Practice Analysis at the CFA Institute. "One of the greatest challenges in attaining the appropriate level of competence remains the lack of materiality of firm-reported ESG data. As this field emerges, SASB's FSA Credential prepares investment management professionals with the required knowledge and skills to assess a firm's ESG exposure and related risks."

Launched in October 2015, FSA Level I focuses on the principles and practices of sustainability accounting. Level II builds on this foundation by teaching how material sustainability information can provide an enhanced understanding of a company's performance and value. The 53-question exam, designed to assess advanced analytical skills, features a series of case studies about various industries, with three to six questions per case study.

"As a sustainability leader for a public company that files with the SEC, it is imperative that I stay abreast of developments in corporate reporting for ESG topics," says Stephanie Berger, Senior Specialist, Corporate Responsibility and Environment at Bell Canada. "By earning the FSA Credential, I am better-informed about ESG reporting in general, but especially as relates to my industry. In particular, I believe that I am better able to successfully identify and analyze material issues."

Since the inception of Level I, more than 350 people from 22 countries have signed up for the exam. More than 80 people have passed the Level I and Level II exams, thus earning the full FSA Credential.

"Integrating ESG factors into investment decisions requires the investor to understand how sustainability information impacts investment analysis," says Lance Garrison, a Portfolio Manager at Atlanta Capital Management. "SASB's FSA credential not only educates investors on how to identify and interpret sustainability information but also provides a demonstrated level of expertise to the outside world."  

The FSA Credential was developed with the expertise of more than 40 subject matter experts with experience in investment analysis, financial reporting, sustainability, accounting, assurance, and securities law. For more information, including free sample questions and excerpts, please visit http://fsa.sasb.org/.  

About SASB

The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board™ (SASB)™ is an independent 501(c)3 organization that issues industry-specific standards for use in disclosing material sustainability information in filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, and Mary Schapiro, former SEC chairman, serve as Chair and Vice Chair of SASB's Board of Directors, and Dr. Jean Rogers serves as Founder and CEO. With significant input from corporations and investors, SASB has issued provisional sustainability accounting standards for 79 industries in 10 sectors, and is now undertaking a period of deep consultation to gather input before the standards are codified. For more information about SASB, visit www.sasb.org, or follow us on YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)

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