John Bruton launches new DCU Green Finance Masters
President of IFSC Ireland and former Taoiseach, John Bruton, has launched a new MSc in Sustainable Energy Finance for Ireland to help promote the jurisdiction as a world leading centre of excellence for green finance.
The launch at the Convention Centre Dublin – the world's first carbon neutral convention centre – builds on the highly innovative Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Energy Finance from DCU which was a first of its kind for the country.
Developed by DCU Business School in association with the financial services sector through the Summit Finuas Network and funded by Skillnets, the new MSc in Sustainable Energy Finance will equip finance and related professionals with the skills necessary to meet the challenges of a global transition to a low carbon economic model.
Both programmes – the new Masters and the Graduate Certificate launched last year – are central to the Green IFSC's Education and Talent strategy which is helping drive Ireland's emergence as a global leader in green finance.
Speaking at the launch of the programme, Mr John Bruton explained,
"The opportunity for Ireland in green or environmental finance is huge. Investment in green finance activities globally has increased to a record $263BN in 2011, up 6.5% from 2010 levels – and estimated to continue to grow dramatically in the years ahead."
"We need to be ready for that future growth and it is great to see the collaboration between industry and the education providers facilitated by the Summit Finuas Network. Therefore, I am delighted to officially launch this DCU Masters in Sustainable Energy Finance and congratulate those who are about to graduate from the Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Energy Finance. Without a doubt, it is our people with their expertise and professional, can-do and pragmatic approach who make the difference and the reason the IFSC celebrates 25 successful years in 2012."
Delivered in DCU Business School by leading academics and industry experts, the programmes will provide a broad and comprehensive overview of sustainability finance in order to support new green business streams within investment banks, professional firms working within the broader green economy and companies developing renewable products and technologies.
Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU, said,
'This new MSc in Sustainable Energy Finance is an excellent example of how DCU engages with business and enterprise in order to inform our degree programmes. Sustainability is a key strategic issue for Ireland and for DCU and we recognise the importance of equipping our DCU graduates with the skills and knowledge needed to support the rapidly growing green economy. We also believe that this Masters programme is very timely for Ireland and that its graduates will play a significant role in harnessing the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow's green economy.' Paul Harris, a member of Green IFSC Steering Group and Head of Natural Resources Risk Management, Bank of Ireland Global Markets, is Course Co-Director and one of the brains behind Ireland's first Sustainable Energy Finance programmes. He said,
"These courses draw together, for the first time anywhere, the key elements of green finance in a comprehensive and practical way enabling finance executives to play a central role in the evolution of this marketplace both in Ireland and internationally".
About the Course
The MSc in Sustainable Energy Finance is a part-time programme for executives developing advanced management and leadership in all areas of sustainable finance, enabling them to generate successful solutions to the opportunities and challenges represented by low carbon markets, green investment project development and finance, green policy and institutional development. It will also provide a strong foundation in sustainability and finance for related professions such as law, engineering, project development and accounting which deal with sustainability projects and carbon management.
The creation of the programmes was made possible with funding from the Skillnets enterprise-led training agency through the Summit Finuas Network. This also enables companies with grant-aid towards programme fees to enable IFSC companies to rapidly develop the exciting market opportunities for Ireland and create new, high-quality jobs for the future.