ISB® Certification Program
FOR NON-FINANCE PROFESSIONALS
IASE’s ISB (International Sustainable Business) certifications validate your ESG expertise, from foundational skills to advanced specializations. Elevate your career, gain global recognition, and demonstrate your commitment to delivering business value.
3 ISB Certifications
Choose from three levels of competency—ISB ADVISOR®, ISB SPECIALIST®, and ISB EXPERT®—designed to meet the highest standards. Ready to elevate your career and make an impact?
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Unlock Your Career Potential with IASE's ISB Certifications
With a credible Pathway to Professional Growth and Industry Recognition, go beyond the buzzwords and gain the skills to strategically apply ESG in your organization. Enhance your marketability, employability, and earning power with a certification developed by top international ESG experts and academics.
Who is the ISB certification program for?
The ISB® Certification is intended for professionals in non-finance-related roles or businesses, including those in mining, manufacturing, retail, legal, environmental production, agriculture, procurement management, government, non-profit organisations and so on.
Benefits of Pursuing IASE Certifications?
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Industry Recognition: IASE certifications are recognized worldwide, enhancing your professional credibility and marketability.
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Career Advancement: Certified professionals often enjoy better job prospects, higher salaries, and more significant career opportunities.
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Skill Enhancement: The certification process equips you with the latest industry practices, tools, and techniques.
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Networking Opportunities: Being part of the IASE community connects you with like-minded professionals and industry leaders.
IASE Core ISB® Certification Pathway!
ISB® Certification Pyramid
The IASE multi-level competency-based ESG certification programmes recognise your knowledge and skills while also assisting you in your lifelong ESG career advancement. Each level has its own set of eligibility requirements and competency-based assessment (i.e., board exam) that is aligned with the syllabus.
The IASE multi-level competency-based ESG certification programmes recognise your knowledge and skills while also assisting you in your lifelong ESG career advancement. Each level has its own set of eligibility requirements and competency-based assessment (i.e., board exam) that is aligned with the syllabus.
Individuals’ competencies will grow and develop as they advance in their careers. At each key milestone, the individual will have developed or gained a new level of competency that can be recognised, allowing for a clear distinction between certification levels. The certification level encourages ESG professionals to seek advancement through specific learning and development to help them reach the level they want.
IASE certification programmes will assess and measure an individual’s competencies at any given level, ensuring that both the ESG professional and the employer are aware of what is expected at each level.
| LEVELS | DESCRIPTION | CERTIFICATION |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Recognises individuals entering the ESG field | ISB® ADVISOR |
| Level 2 | Recognises ESG professionals who have at least 2 years of ESG experience. | ISB® SPECIALIST |
| Level 3 | Requirements to be announced soon | ISB® EXPERT |
Individuals’ competencies will grow and develop as they advance in their careers. At each key milestone, the individual will have developed or gained a new level of competency that can be recognised, allowing for a clear distinction between certification levels. The certification level encourages ESG professionals to seek advancement through specific learning and development to help them reach the level they want.
IASE certification programmes will assess and measure an individual’s competencies at any given level, ensuring that both the ESG professional and the employer are aware of what is expected at each level.
| LEVELS | DESCRIPTION | CERTIFICATION |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Recognises individuals entering the ESG field | ISB® ADVISOR |
| Level 2 | Recognises ESG professionals who have at least 2 years of ESG experience. | ISB® SPECIALIST |
| Level 3 | Requirements to be announced soon | ISB® EXPERT |
Eligibility Requirements for ISB® Certification
To be awarded ISB® certification, a candidate must have the following minimum qualification requirements for the respective levels:
- ISB® Level 1 – EQF Level 3 (the equivalent of a high school/matric/Grade 12/Standard 10 diploma/qualification)
- ISB® Level 2 – EQF Level 4-5 (the equivalent of a 3-year post-high school qualification through a tertiary institution, such as a university degree)
- ISB® Level 3 – EQF Level 6-7 (or NQF Level 7-8 in a South African context)
Both of IASE’s ISB® and ISF® Certification programs have three distinct levels of expertise, each with its board exam and credential. In combination, they represent career progression pathways. learn more
Passing the corresponding board exam for each level is a requirement for achieving the corresponding ISB ADVISOR®, ISB SPECIALIST® or ISB EXPERT® designations.
You can find information about the training course and the board exams here.
Note: Obtaining the ISB® Level 1 certification is not a requirement for registering to write the ISB® Level 2 board exam. In other words, being an ISB® Advisor (Level 1) is not a requirement to register for the ISB® Level 2 board exam.
To be awarded the ISB® certification as the respective levels, a candidate must have the following minimum prior experience requirements:
- ISB® Level 1 – previous professional work experience in the field of ESG and/or Sustainability NOT required.
- ISB® Level 2 – 2 years of previous professional work experience in the field of ESG and/or Sustainability required. Candidate to submit a detailed CV for consideration as part of the board exam registration process.
- ISB® Level 3 – Still to be determined. The ISF® Level III program is yet to be launched.
To be awarded the ISB® certification at the respective levels, all candidates must:
- Agree to abide by IASE’s By-Laws, Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and Disciplinary Regulations as amended by the Institute from time to time.
- Never have been convicted of a criminal offense.
- Never has had a final sanction imposed on him/her by a court, regulator, or any other lawful authority for a serious offense.
- Never have been disqualified under any law or expelled by any professional association from practicing a specific profession.
- Never have faced any other similar remedial action/s related to professional conduct or unethical practice/s.
Candidates who have met all the above minimum requirements can apply to be awarded the official ISB® professional designation.
IASE shall officially award all successful candidates the rights and privileges of using the ISB® professional designation for the level applied for. Candidates can then proudly communicate their hard-earned accomplishments publicly, including appending their designation to their names (eg Jane Doe ISB SPECIALIST®) on their business cards, email signatures, or LinkedIn profiles.
In addition, the names of all successful applicants shall then be added to IASE’s public directory of ESG professionals in the world.
In addition to the above specific requirements, candidates must also meet the following general requirements to be awarded the ISF® Certification
- Candidate must be a minimum of 16 years old at the time of applying for certification
Board Exam Information
All of our board exams are available as online remote proctored exams, which require a desktop or laptop computer, an internet connection, a working webcam, and a microphone.
Approved Education and Training Providers
IASE endorses courses delivered by Approved Training Providers to help candidates prepare for all of its Board Exams.
Click on the appropriate link below to be redirected to the page where you can learn everything about our training programs, course content, upcoming course dates, costs, and so much more:
