Programme overview
The FSA Credential Level I establishes the foundation for understanding how sustainability information connects to financial performance and corporate value. Developed and conferred by the IFRS Foundation, the credential is recognized globally across capital markets. This programme prepares delegates for the Level I examination, covering investor demand for sustainability information, the evolution of sustainability disclosure, the concept of materiality, and the core content and conceptual foundations of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, SASB Standards, and the TCFD Recommendations. The programme is delivered over 5 days, either in-person at our training centre or online, with the schedule arranged to suit each group.
Certification & Recognition
This programme prepares delegates for the IFRS Foundation's FSA Credential (Level I) examination. Delegates receive a Novera Legacy Integrated Solutions Certificate of Completion upon successful participation and assessment.
Exam information
- Exams are set by the IFRS Foundation and taken through Pearson VUE, either at a test centre or online.
- The Level I exam has 110 multiple choice questions.
- Each exam lasts 2 hours.
- Testing windows run from January to February, May to June and September to October.
The Novera Legacy certificate is a certificate of completion for this preparation programme. The FSA Credential itself is conferred by the IFRS Foundation to candidates who pass both the Level I and Level II exams.
Programme Curriculum
- Demand for sustainability information
- The historical basis for disclosure
- Materiality: a guiding principle for required disclosure
- The limitations of financial disclosure
- The sustainability information value chain and the role of data providers
- The role of standards and frameworks: from fragmentation to cohesion
- Materiality: going beyond investors
- Sustainability disclosure across jurisdictions
- What is useful sustainability-related financial information?
- The IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards
- Setting IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards
- How companies disclose sustainability-related financial information
- A closer look at investor demand for sustainability information
- Considerations for corporate use
- Considerations for investor use
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, participants will be able to:
- Understand the factors driving investor demand for sustainability information across public equities, corporate fixed income, and private markets.
- Recognize the evolution of financial accounting and sustainability disclosure and their importance in global capital markets.
- Distinguish global approaches to materiality and identify the characteristics of useful sustainability-related financial information and the ISSB's objectives.
- Understand the sustainability information value chain and the roles of standard setters and regulators and their implications for capital markets.
- Identify the core content, conceptual foundations, and guidance sources of the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, SASB Standards, and TCFD Recommendations.
- Explain corporate sustainability disclosure approaches and stages, including how investor demand influences disclosure practices.
- Recognize the role of board governance, internal controls, and third-party assurance in ensuring reliable sustainability information.
Who This Programme Is For
Investors and analysts (equity, fixed income, research, portfolio and asset management); auditors and assurance providers; corporate professionals in sustainability, finance, operations, and reporting; consultants; and students preparing for a career in sustainability and finance.
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