The course consists of 3 parts: （1）Basic knowledge of the SDGs/ESG, （2）Financial organs and their practices towards the SDGs/ESG, （3）Developing the index of the SDGs.
（1）Basic knowledge of the SDGs/ESG:
Students learn the rudiments of the SDGs/ESG. For example, we will explore their concepts, history, the work being done by Japan and other member states, and how to acquire abilities in order to create and achieve a sustainable society.
（2）Financial organs and their practices:
Students will receive hints in order to make the SDGS index by learning the practices being conducted by economic organs for the SDGs/ESG, by listening to experienced guest speakers.
（3）Developing the SDGs index:
Students will develop the SDGs index to bring to leaders who will make and accelerate the inflow of investment money towards the SDGs/ESG.
In September, 2015, at the 70th United Nations General Assembly, member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The agenda explains the need for not only the government, but also for the private sector and civil society to mobilize all their available resources in order to achieve the goals.
In 2006, the United Nations proposed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The organization appealed to institutional investors that it is necessary to incorporate environment (E), society, (S), and government (G) into the investment processes. As a result, interest in global sustainable investment (ESG investment) has increased worldwide, and expected to further accelerate in trend. In Japan, for example, the GPIF (Government Pension Investment Fund) signed with the PRI in 2015. This suggests that interest in sustainable investment has increased among investors.
In response to this growing interest, an inflow of investment money is required from the financial market to businesses that are aiming to achieve the SDGs. Therefore, indicators that measure information about sustainability and ESG factors play an important role in this process. In other words, it is important that we develop a standardized index of the SDGs that express what it means to promote and progress within the goals.
The aim of this seminar is to foster students' abilities of creating and accelerating the inflow of investment money for the SDGs/ESG. It is especially key that we are educating the generation who will be the main societal actors in the year 2030, which is the target year for achieving the SDGs. In particular, students will be creating an index that measures the SDGs for companies and businesses by observing lectures and case studies.