What is the Certified ESG Risk Specialist?

The Certified ESG Risk Specialist is a globally recognised professional certification by the Global Leadership Institute (GLI), designed to equip professionals with advanced competencies in Finance & Accounting.

How long does this certification take?

The programme is 11 Week and can be completed at your own pace through our self-paced online option, or alongside live virtual sessions.

Is this certification globally recognised?

Yes. GLI certifications are internationally recognised and carry CPD credits, making them valuable for career advancement worldwide.

What level is this certification?

This is a Advanced Level certification, suitable for professionals with relevant experience or background in the field.

You can enrol by emailing info@leadership.co.ke, contacting us via WhatsApp at +254 722 223 084, or filling the enrolment form below.

Certified ESG Risk Specialist (CERS2) | Online Certification

Executive Summary

Certified ESG Risk Specialist

Designed for today’s high-impact professionals, the Certified ESG Risk Specialist (CERS2) delivers a rigorous Advanced-level curriculum that equips participants with the knowledge, tools and frameworks needed to excel in security risk management, physical protection and investigations.

This 11 Week programme is structured around ASIS, ISO and recognised security-management standards, ensuring every graduate applies internationally validated methods to real-world challenges.

GLI’s CERS2 holders are recognised by leading organisations across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and the Americas as qualified, results-driven professionals. Whether you are advancing your current career or transitioning into new responsibilities, this certification provides the competitive edge you need in 2026 and beyond.

Programme Overview

Certification at a Glance

Certification

Certified ESG Risk Specialist

Acronym

CERS2

Who Should Enrol?

Security Officers and Supervisors
Security Managers and Consultants
Investigators and Intelligence Analysts
Loss Prevention and Protection Specialists

Programme Inclusions

Everything Included in Your Enrolment

All study materials and study guide
Access to GLI online learning portal
Online examination and assessment
Digital certificate and digital badge
Physical certificate (shipped to you)
CPD credits for professional bodies
GLI alumni network membership
Facilitator and tutor support
Resource downloads and reference library
Automatic enrolment confirmation

Certification Benefits

Why This Certification Matters for Your Career

Career Advancement

Accelerate your career towards senior security-management and CSO roles

Professional Recognition

Credential aligned with ASIS, ISO and recognised security-management standards

Leadership Capability

Develop the strategic and operational skills to lead complex security risk management functions

Organisational Impact

Design and implement security risk management systems that drive performance and measurable results

Compliance Readiness

Master the standards, compliance and ethical governance central to security risk management

Global Employability

Qualify for security risk management roles across corporates, critical infrastructure, government and protective services worldwide

Competency Framework

Core Competencies You Will Develop

✦ESG Risk Taxonomy

✦Governance Risk Identification

✦ESG Risk Scoring

✦Human Rights Risks

✦Reputation and Conduct Risks

✦ESG Risk Monitoring

Course Curriculum

Programme Modules

The full programme, module by module.

Core CurriculumModules 1–20 · specific to Certified ESG Risk Specialist · module 20 is the capstone

1

ESG Risk Foundations

Climate risk, forecasting and resilient practices · Climate risk: physical, transition and scenario analysis · Climate risk: physical, transition and what it does to the business · Climate and sustainability responsibility

2

ESG Risk Taxonomy

Sustainable finance: green bonds, taxonomies and ESG investing · ESG data and assurance: making sustainability numbers reliable · Social sustainability and human rights due diligence · Embedding sustainability: governance, incentives and getting it into decisions

3

Environmental Risk Identification

Environmental and social safeguards · Soil environmental quality: structure, contamination and erosion · Livestock environmental load: manure, emissions and siting · Farm environmental compliance, management plans and auditing

4

Social Risk Identification

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) · Sustainability and social impact in projects · Financial risk in projects · Risk identification and analysis

5

Governance Risk Identification

IT governance, compliance and data protection obligations · Risk, compliance and feasibility analysis · Liquidity risk and asset-liability management · Operational risk and resilience

6

ESG Materiality and Risk

Sustainability, CSR and non-financial reporting · Materiality assessment: deciding which sustainability issues matter here · Sustainability strategy and materiality · Concentration and sector risk

7

ESG Risk Assessment

Risk and vulnerability assessment · Organisational maturity, assessment and improvement programmes · Risk assessment and safe systems of work · Security assessment, vulnerability management and remediation

8

ESG Risk Scoring

Compliance risk assessment, monitoring and corrective action · Disaster risk assessment: hazard, exposure, vulnerability and capacity · Early warning systems: from detection to action by the people at risk · Public warning and risk communication: what to say, who says it and when

9

ESG Risk Quantification

Financial risk management and derivatives · Fraud risk, prevention and detection · Tax compliance and the tax risk agenda · Fire risk assessment methodology

10

Climate-Related Financial Risks

Risk appetite translated into usable limits · Risk assessment without theatre · Financial crime and fraud risk in the organisation · Third-party and outsourcing risk

11

Human Rights Risks

The human rights framework: obligations, duty bearers and rights holders · Social responsibility and human rights · Human rights monitoring and documentation · Protecting human rights defenders and managing risk

12

Supply Chain ESG Risks

Supply chain design: configuration, trade-offs and cost to serve · Value-chain and supply-chain finance · Supply chain visibility and control towers · Supply chain risk identification and mapping

13

Regulatory ESG Risks

Emotional intelligence and the emotional climate of a team · Security risk management methodology · Risk, cost and feasibility analysis · Payment risk types and management

14

Reputation and Conduct Risks

Supplier codes of conduct and audits · Bribery, corruption and conduct risk · Conduct risk, fair treatment and responsible lending · Threat and risk assessment

15

ESG Risk Controls

Converged security: physical, information and insider risk · Security risk assessment and proportionate response · Competitive advantage: positioning, resources and sustainability · Strategic risk, scenarios and resilience

16

ESG Risk Appetite

Board oversight of risk, culture and internal control · Anaerobic digestion, biogas and waste-to-value · Biodiversity, pollinators and ecosystem services · Water stewardship and drought management

17

ESG Risk Monitoring

Circular economy and waste reduction · Renewable energy technologies, resource and system design · Energy access: mini-grids, off-grid systems and project viability · Renewable energy projects: development, finance and policy

18

ESG Risk Reporting

Evaluation use: reporting findings that change decisions · Capacity and resource optimisation · Market analysis and environmental scanning · Greenhouse-gas reduction

19

ESG Scenario Analysis

Financial analysis, modelling and valuation · Scenario planning: preparing for futures you cannot predict · Forage, pasture and feed conservation · Conservation of indigenous breeds

20

Enterprise ESG Risk Strategy

Housekeeping and workplace environment · Integration with quality and environment · Environmental aspects, impacts and compliance obligations · Environmental management and pollution control

Professional ElectivesModules 21–30 · common to all GLI certifications · broaden your professional range

21

Strategic Communication and Executive Presentation

Vision, purpose and translating direction into work · Audience-centred communication and message structure · Executive leadership: the board interface and enterprise stewardship · Persuasive structure: framing, evidence and the ask

22

Leadership and Team Effectiveness

Leadership identity, style and the limits of style · Leadership assessment, feedback and continuous self-review · What critical reasoning is and what it is not · Situational and adaptive leadership

23

Analytical Thinking and Evidence-Based Reasoning

Creativity and critical-thinking development · Analytical techniques and bias · Evidence-based improvement · Problem framing: symptoms, definition and scope

24

Professional Decision-Making

Managerial decision-making, bias and decision rights · Escalation and decision-making · Decision support: briefs, options and judgement under pressure · Decision frameworks: criteria, weighting and trade-offs

25

Negotiation, Influence and Stakeholder Management

Negotiation preparation: interests, options and the walk-away · Power, followership and organisational politics · Negotiation: preparation, interests and value creation · Concessions, anchoring and the shape of a bargain

26

Project and Execution Management

Proposals, bids and the business case · Project roles and the project manager · Developing the project business case · Planning, scheduling and personal workflow systems

27

Financial Literacy for Professionals

Financial reporting standards and their application · Financial management for the operating manager · Liquidity, funding and balance sheet management · Management accounting: costing, budgeting and decision support

28

Digital Skills, AI and Technology for Professionals

Digital workplace, collaboration and user support · Productivity, collaboration and workflow tools · Tools for interaction and collaboration · Working with data: quality, interpretation and honest presentation

29

Ethics, Governance and Professional Accountability

Ethical leadership: integrity, tolerated behaviour and moral courage · Ethics, conduct and speaking up · Business development risk, ethics and integrity · AI for managers: adoption, oversight and governance

30

Personal Effectiveness, Productivity and Career Growth

Emotional competence: awareness, regulation and expression · Self-awareness, strengths and the accuracy of self-image · Emotional intelligence and self-regulation · Priority: outcomes, importance and the urgency trap

Every module opens in the learning portal with its full lesson set, worked examples, further reading and video masterclasses. 30 modules · 150 lessons.

Learning Outcomes

What You Will Achieve

Establish a comprehensive understanding of Certified ESG Risk Specialist principles aligned with ASIS, ISO and recognised security-management standards
Apply evidence-based methods to improve security risk management, physical protection and investigations
Master security risk assessment and threat analysis and physical security and access control
Apply investigations, intelligence and forensics and crisis, emergency and incident response in real-world settings
Lead risk management, quality and compliance relevant to your field
Design stakeholder engagement and professional communication strategies
Use data-driven decision-making and performance-measurement tools effectively
Apply internationally recognised best practice to advance your career in security risk management

Enrolment Process

How to Get Certified

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Step 1: Choose Your Certification

You are viewing Certified ESG Risk Specialist — one of GLI's 1,990+ globally recognised professional certifications.

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Step 2: Enrol & Pay Online — Instantly

Click Enrol & Study Online to register and pay securely via Paystack, Visa, Mastercard, M-Pesa or bank transfer. Access is granted the moment payment is confirmed.

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Step 3: Study in the GLI Learning Portal

Work through 15 structured modules and 75 lessons at your own pace, with downloadable resources and expert-designed content — all inside the LMS.

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Step 4: Pass, Get Certified & Verified

Sit your final examination online, earn your certificate instantly, and receive a globally verifiable Certificate ID — plus GLI Alumni Network access.

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Secure checkout · Instant LMS access · Globally verifiable certificate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions

What is the CERS2 certification?

The Certified ESG Risk Specialist is a professional certification awarded by the Global Leadership Institute. It covers 20 core modules specific to ESG Risk Specialist, culminating in the capstone “Enterprise ESG Risk Strategy”, plus 10 professional elective modules common to all GLI certifications. Candidates study through the online portal, submit the capstone project and sit a final examination; those who pass receive a verifiable certificate carrying a unique certificate ID.

Who should enrol in the CERS2?

This certification is ideal for Security Officers and Supervisors, Security Managers and Consultants, Investigators and Intelligence Analysts and Loss Prevention and Protection Specialists, and other professionals seeking to formalise their expertise in security risk management, physical protection and investigations with a globally recognised credential.

How long does the CERS2 certification take to complete?

The programme is structured over 11 Week and offers flexible learning modes. Self-paced learners can progress at their own schedule, while live virtual participants follow a structured cohort schedule with facilitator-led sessions.

Is the CERS2 internationally recognised?

Yes. GLI certifications are recognised across 100+ countries and are aligned with ASIS, ISO and recognised security-management standards. Graduates receive a digital certificate, a physical certificate and CPD credits recognised by employers worldwide.

What is the cost of the CERS2 certification?

The Certified ESG Risk Specialist is offered in two formats: Self-Paced at USD 449 and Live Virtual at USD 649. Corporate group rates are available for organisations enrolling 5 or more participants. Contact GLI for a bespoke corporate training quotation.

What does the CERS2 certification include?

Enrolment includes all study materials and study guides, access to GLI's online learning portal, online examination, digital certificate and badge, physical certificate (posted), CPD credits, GLI alumni network membership, and ongoing facilitator support.

What is the assessment format for the CERS2?

The Certified ESG Risk Specialist is assessed through an online examination consisting of multiple-choice questions, case study analysis, and practical application assignments. The assessment is designed to evaluate real-world competency, not just theoretical recall.

What CPD credits do I earn from the CERS2?

The Certified ESG Risk Specialist carries Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits, which can be applied towards professional body requirements including recognised international professional associations.

Can I study the CERS2 while working full-time?

Absolutely. The self-paced option is designed for busy working professionals and allows you to study when and where it suits you. Live virtual sessions are typically scheduled in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate professional commitments.

What career outcomes can I expect from the CERS2?

Graduates progress towards senior security-management and CSO roles. The CERS2 strengthens your expertise in security risk management, physical protection and investigations and positions you for advancement across corporates, critical infrastructure, government and protective services.

Graduate Voices

What Our Alumni Say

“

The curriculum was directly applicable to my daily work. I immediately applied what I learned and saw results within weeks of completing the programme.

Head of Security

Private Sector

“

GLI's certification is the most practical professional programme I have attended. The international frameworks gave me credibility with my employer and clients.

Security Manager

NGO Sector

“

I earned my CERS2 while working full-time. The self-paced format made it possible, and the quality of the content is genuinely world-class.

Investigations Lead

Government

Certified ESG Risk Specialist

Certified ESG Risk Specialist

Certification at a Glance

Who Should Enrol?

Everything Included in Your Enrolment

Why This Certification Matters for Your Career

Core Competencies You Will Develop

Programme Modules

What You Will Achieve

How to Get Certified

Common Questions

What Our Alumni Say

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