Program Overview

Program Overview

The Nature Finance course is part of the Sustainable Management and Technology program at EPFL. This course explores the financial instruments that support the protection and regeneration of natural assets.

Course Description

The course starts with an introduction to the scientific fundamental knowledge of key natural assets, such as agricultural commodities, forests, biodiversity, and their economic value for society. It then reviews the current financial services offered to protect and develop these assets, including traditional financial services and an introduction to carbon and biodiversity credits.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students must be able to:

• Discuss scientific concepts related to nature
• Propose financial solutions as a support to natural assets
• Defend the relevance of Nature for our economic and social systems
• Visualize the job market ecosystem related to Nature Finance

Transversal Skills

The course aims to develop the following transversal skills:

• Use a work methodology appropriate to the task
• Communicate effectively with professionals from other disciplines
• Negotiate effectively within the group
• Respect relevant legal guidelines and ethical codes for the profession
• Take responsibility for environmental impacts of her/his actions and decisions
• Continue to work through difficulties or initial failure to find optimal solutions
• Write a scientific or technical report

Teaching Methods

The course consists of in-class sessions and homework, mainly readings or videos.

Assessment Methods

The assessment methods include:

• One mid-term session on Nature Sciences Basics (30%)
• One mid-term session on Nature Finance tools (30%)
• One Final exam as Poster presentation (30%)
• Exercise (10%)

Program Details

The Nature Finance course is part of the following programs:

• Sustainable Management and Technology, Master semester 3
• Financial engineering, Master semester 1
• Financial engineering, Master semester 3
• Management, Technology and Entrepreneurship, Master semester 1
• Management, Technology and Entrepreneurship, Master semester 3

Course Schedule

The course is offered in the Fall semester, with 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of project work per week, for 14 weeks. The exam form is during the semester (winter session).

Credits and Type

The course is worth 3 credits and is optional.

Teacher and Language

The teacher is Coutu Sylvain, and the language of instruction is English.

Remark

MTE-SMT Students: MA3 only.

Reference Week

The reference week schedule is provided, with lectures and project work on Thursdays.

Related Courses

Related courses can be found on the EPFL website.