UNDP SDG Finance Academy Offers 16 Free Online Sustainable Finance Courses with Certificates for Global Learners

Overview

The United Nations Development Programme's SDG Finance Academy offers 16 self-paced online courses on sustainable finance. Topics include public financial management, private capital mobilisation, biodiversity finance, impact measurement, Integrated National Financing Frameworks and Islamic finance. The courses suit professionals, students, policymakers, development practitioners, entrepreneurs and researchers who want to understand how financing tools and policy reforms can speed progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. More than 12,000 participants have taken the e-learning courses, and more than 2,500 learners have joined in-person academies across UNDP regions.

What you get

The courses are open-access and self-paced, and most are in English, with selected courses also in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese or Arabic. They include practical explanations, UNDP case studies and real-world examples, with knowledge checks or assessments depending on the course. Certificates are available for most courses, though conditions vary by course and platform. There is no single application deadline because enrolment is ongoing.

Course areas

The introductory course explains sustainable finance, the SDG financing gap, catalytic financing and the structure of the Academy, and UNDP recommends taking it first. A climate and energy course covers finance for national climate priorities, clean energy transitions and Nationally Determined Contributions. Four public finance courses cover debt, tax, budgeting and insurance and risk financing for the SDGs. Three private capital courses, best taken in sequence, cover unlocking private capital and aligning business operations with the SDGs, accessing capital through blended finance, guarantees and digital finance, and building SDG investment project pipelines. Two nature courses cover nature, business and finance, and designing and implementing biodiversity finance plans. Remaining courses cover impact measurement, financing frameworks and Islamic finance.

How to apply

Learners check the official page for each course for its duration, enrolment procedure, assessment method and certificate conditions, then register on the relevant learning platform.