International Chamber of Sustainable Development

What International Chamber of Sustainable Development does

International Chamber of Sustainable Development (ICSD) is a Hong Kong-registered not-for-profit organization (limited by guarantee, registration number 3171267) founded in 2021 that delivers ESG education and professional certification. Its core offerings are the Certified ESG Planner (CEP®) and Certified ESG Manager (CEM®) credentialing programs, both registered at the United Nations SDGs Knowledge Platform (Registration number: 39533), supported by the proprietary CEPAR® Model — a 5-step ESG planning methodology launched in May 2024. The organization serves nearly 5,000 certified members from diverse industries across Hong Kong, Geneva, and London, and serves corporate clients through in-house ESG training (e.g., a 20-hour Sustainable Banking and Finance program delivered to Fubon Bank in 2022) and academic partnerships (City University of Hong Kong, Cambridge University CISL, Cambridge Judge Business School).

ICSD's business model is membership- and certification-led. Revenue streams consist of annual membership fees, certification application and examination fees for CEP and CEM, and fees for educational offerings such as the 15-hour CEP course and the 6-hour AI & ESG Analytics certificate course. Distribution is primarily direct via online enrollment through icsd-global.org, supplemented by in-house corporate training and academic outreach. The organization markets itself through its website, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube), an ESG blog, free CPD webinars, and event-driven activities including the APAC ESG Forum 2025 and Cambridge CISL co-hosted seminars.

Strategic positioning rests on UN affiliations: ICSD became a UNEP FI Supporting Institution in July 2025 and its SLABM Initiative is a registered UN Partnership project (Registration number: 39200). The organization is financially supported by the charity body SUETRONG EDUCATION RESOURCES, sponsored by the late Mr. Suetrong Mahaprukpong. ICSD operates with a very lean team (1-10 employees) and a small disclosed management group led by Founding Chairman Dr. Angus Yip, with Vice Chairmen Dr. Mike Hui and Ms. Dilys Lam and Engagement Director Ms. Emily Kwong. There are no external funding rounds and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

International Chamber of Sustainable Development

Legal name

International Chamber of Sustainable Development Limited

Website

https://icsd-global.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Chamber of Sustainable Development (ICSD) is a Hong Kong-registered not-for-profit NGO that delivers ESG education and certification, serving nearly 5,000 CEP and CEM members and corporate clients through chapters in Hong Kong, Geneva, and London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional ESG Certification and Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability, Energy & Environmental (ESG/LEED) Certifications (EDAAANAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental, Health & Safety / Sustainability (EHS, Environmental Compliance CE) (EDAAALAO)

Keywords

• ESG certification programs
• Professional ESG credentials
• Sustainability education training
• ESG membership body
• Sustainable development advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Central

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ICSD generates revenue through annual membership fees. Members pay to join and renew their membership to access CEP and CEM certifications, resources, webinars, and networking opportunities.
2. Certification Programs: Revenue generated from Certified ESG Planner (CEP) and Certified ESG Manager (CEM) certification programs, including application fees, examination fees, and certification maintenance fees.
3. Educational Courses: Revenue from educational programs including the 15-hour CEP course, AI & ESG Analytics certificate course, and other professional development offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ICSD is a not-for-profit professional body that delivers ESG professional certifications — Certified ESG Planner (CEP®) and Certified ESG Manager (CEM®) — to individual practitioners, alongside the CEPAR® ESG planning framework, paid certificate courses, CPD webinars, in-house corporate training, and a Shared NGO Platform supporting UN 17 SDG-aligned projects. Revenue comes from annual membership fees, certification application/examination fees, course fees, and sponsorship/grants from a supporting charity body.

Product overview

ICSD offers a portfolio of ESG professional certifications and educational programs. The core offerings are the Certified ESG Planner (CEP®) and Certified ESG Manager (CEM®) certification programs, which form a two-tier professional credentialing system. The CEPAR® Model provides a structured ESG planning methodology that underpins the education programs. Supporting offerings include an AI & ESG Analytics certificate course, scholarship programs, a member blog for ESG knowledge sharing, and free CPD webinars on specialized topics. The organization also publishes the U.K. ESG Watch analytical content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certified ESG Planner (CEP®) Professional ESG planning certification program consisting of a course and a 500-word application assignment, granting the CEP® designation. Targeted at working professionals from diverse industries seeking recognized ESG credentials for career advancement.
• Certified ESG Manager (CEM®) Advanced professional certification for ESG management that builds upon the CEP® qualification. Targeted at ESG professionals pursuing senior or management-level ESG roles.
• CEPAR® Model Structured 5-step ESG planning framework/methodology published by ICSD to help organizations implement ESG principles. Used as the educational underpinning of ICSD's certification programs.
• AI & ESG Analytics Certificate Course A 6-hour online certificate course providing training on artificial intelligence applications in ESG analytics. Targeted at ICSD members seeking to extend ESG expertise into AI-driven analytics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 5,000 CEP and CEM certified members from diverse industries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• CPA AustraliacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 April 2026ICSD Chairman Dr. Angus Yip and Vice Chairman Ms. Dilys Lam joined CPA Australia's networking event in London to introduce ICSD to participants.
• Cambridge University - Judge Business SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2026ICSD collaborated exclusively with Cambridge University to offer scholarships for the Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business. Dr. Tanja Collavo, Course Director, introduced the program to ICSD members.
• HKPAA (Hong Kong Professional Association)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025ICSD and HKPAA jointly organised an APAC ESG Forum at HKCEC with keynote speakers from South Korea, India, Indonesia and Singapore.
• UNEP FI (United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025In July 2025, ICSD became a Supporting Institution of UNEP FI. This affiliation strengthens ICSD's commitment to advancing responsible finance, climate risk awareness, and sustainable economic development worldwide. ICSD's support is formally recognized by UNEP FI and listed on their supporting institutions page.
• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2025ICSD delegates visited UNEP and were received by Ms. Diana Rizzolio, Mr. Mustafa Chaudry and Mr. Jonas Huyghebaert to discuss collaboration.
• Ethos FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2025ICSD delegates visited Ethos Foundation and discussed active ownership for ESG with Director Vincent Kaufmann and Director Adjoint Anthony Gloor.
• Sustainable Finance Geneva (SFG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2025ICSD delegates visited SFG and discussed collaboration in training with Managing Director Ms. Kali Taylor.
• Chamber of Commerce GenevacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2025ICSD delegates discussed how to connect ESG businesses between members and Geneva firms with Deputy Mario Marchesini and Project Manager Ms. Aurelie Hutzli.
• Cambridge University (CISL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2024ICSD co-hosted a seminar with Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) at HKCEC on 'Beyond ESG - Leading the Transition to Competitive Sustainability in Asia'. Two keynote speeches and two panel discussions were held.
• WGO (World Green Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2024ICSD co-hosted seminar with WGO and Cambridge University CISL on ESG topics in Asia.
• GreenMakaseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022ICSD became Adviser of GreenMakase, a social enterprise startup using technology to reduce food waste and help underprivileged people buy food at affordable prices.
• Hong Kong Federation of Youth GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICSD donated to support charitable activities and Engagement Director Ms. Emily Kwong delivered a talk on ESG to secondary students as part of their Winter School program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP runs global environmental disclosure systems and training programs for sustainability professionals, an adjacent incumbent with overlapping ESG education and credentialing activity.
• CFA Institute: CFA Institute offers the Certificate in ESG Investing and chartered credentialing widely held by finance professionals — a comparable professional ESG certification with a much larger global member base.
• CPA Australia: CPA Australia offers sustainability credentials and ESG-related CPD for accounting professionals and is an existing ICSD marketing partner; comparable as a professional body expanding into ESG education.
• IFRS Foundation (ISSB / SASB): Through the ISSB and former SASB, the IFRS Foundation sets global sustainability disclosure standards and offers training and certification for preparers and assurance providers, overlapping with ICSD's ESG certification offerings at greater scale.

Others

• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL): CISL is a Cambridge University sustainability leadership institute and an existing ICSD seminar partner; comparable as a provider of executive ESG education though academically focused rather than a membership certification body.

Regional players

• Green Building Council Hong Kong (HKGBC): HKGBC is a Hong Kong-based sustainability membership body offering green building credentials and education, sharing the same regional sustainability education space as ICSD.
• Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA): HKICPA provides professional certification and sustainability/ESG training for accountants in Hong Kong, overlapping with ICSD's corporate ESG training audience in the same geography.

Direct peers

• World Green Organization (WGO): A Hong Kong-based sustainability NGO that promotes green practices and ESG education, and an existing ICSD co-host partner; it represents a comparable local ESG membership and credentialing organization.
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): GRI is the most widely used sustainability reporting standards organization and runs the GRI Academy offering professional certifications in ESG reporting — directly comparable to ICSD's CEP and CEM credentialing model.
• Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA): IEMA is a UK-based professional body offering globally recognized sustainability and environmental management certifications, directly comparable to ICSD's CEP and CEM professional credentials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ICSDGLOBAL
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICSD.CEP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-chamber-of-sustainable-development

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Chamber of Sustainable Development