Handbook of Green Finance


Book Description

This handbook deals with various financial instruments, policies, and strategies in a policy-oriented approach for financing green energy projects. Recently, global investment in renewables and energy efficiency has declined, and there is a risk that it will slow further, Clearly, fossil fuels still dominate energy investments. This trend could threaten the expansion of green energy needed to meet energy security, climate, and clean-air goals. Several developed and developing economies are still following pro-coal energy policies. The extra CO2 generated from new coal-fired power plants could more than eliminate any reductions in emissions made by other nations. Finance is the engine of development of infrastructural projects, including energy projects. By providing several thematic and country chapters, this handbook explains that if we plan to achieve sustainable development goals, we need to create opportunities for new green projects and scale up the financing of investments that furnish environmental benefits. New financial instruments and policies such as green bonds, green banks, carbon market instruments, fiscal policy, green central banking, fintech, and community-based green funds are among the chief components that make up green finance. Naoyuki Yoshino is Dean, Asian Development Bank Institute and Professor Emeritus, Keio University. Jeffery Sachs is Director, Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. Wing Thye Woo is Professor of Economics, U.C. Davis. Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary is Assistant Professor, Waseda University.




Green and Sustainable Finance


Book Description

More than 120 countries have committed to net zero targets by 2050, requiring systemic economic transitions on an unprecedented scale and with the finance sector playing a leading role. Green finance will power the transition, ensuring capital flows to the firms, investments, projects and technologies looking to create a sustainable, low-carbon world. To achieve net zero, every professional financial decision must take climate change and broader sustainability factors into account. Green and Sustainable Finance provides a comprehensive guide to the application of common green and sustainable principles and practices in banking, investment and insurance to help finance professionals embed these in their daily activities and decision-making. Focusing on the necessity of mainstreaming green and sustainable finance globally, this book includes a clear explanation of the science underpinning climate change. Green and Sustainable Finance covers a wide range of green finance products and services in retail, commercial and corporate banking, insurance, investment and fintech. It provides an overview of emerging regulation and international market frameworks and standards, particularly in relation to climate and environmental risk. Consideration is also given to the ethical dimensions of green and sustainable finance, including how professionals can promote market integrity and take active steps to avoid greenwashing. Endorsed by the Chartered Banker Institute as the core text for the benchmark Certificate in Green and Sustainable Finance, this book is essential reading for finance professionals and students, and individuals working to embed sustainability in business, policy and regulation.




Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing


Book Description

Sustainable investing is booming. The investment industry is fast approaching a point where one-third of global assets under management are invested with a sustainable objective. But do sustainable investment products do what investors expect them to do? How can an investor tell if their investments are having the social impact they want? Does that impact come at a financial cost? And how can investors weave their way through the web of confusing acronyms, conflicting agency ratings, and the mass of fund offerings, confident that they can recognize and avoid corporate greenwashing? Larry Swedroe and Sam Adams cut through the fog and bring clarity on all of this and more—providing investors with a firm plan for truly sustainable investing. The authors first define sustainable investing, illuminating the differences between ESG, SRI and impact investing, and reveal who is currently investing sustainably and why. They then move on to a comprehensive review of the academic research. What does the data really say about risk and return in sustainable investing? What performance can you genuinely expect from sustainable investments? And how are today’s sustainable investors using their influence to drive positive changes for society and the environment? Finally, this book arms you with a practical guide to investing sustainably, including how to effectively choose your asset allocation strategy, and select the managers and funds through which your money can create the change you want to see in the world. Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing is the definitive go-to resource that investors have been waiting for.




Financing Sustainability


Book Description

Sustainability thinking is rapidly gaining traction. It offers an inspiring vision for the future of the world and provides significant business and investment opportunities. Based on insights from over 300 empirical studies, this book explores the possibilities in the field of renewable energy finance, carbon trading, and sustainable investing. In addition, it describes innovative finance mechanisms – such as green bonds and peer-to-peer lending – that may further spur environmental and social sustainability. By taking an empirical, fact-based approach, this book aims to provide investors, business executives, and policymakers with a more thorough understanding of how sustainable finance can create value for business and society. Key words: Sustainable finance, renewable energy finance, cleantech, green investing, sustainable investments, responsible investments, carbon trading, carbon finance, ESG, impact investing.




The Evolution of Sustainable Investments and Finance


Book Description

Over the last decade, socially responsible investments (SRIs) have become paramount to both professionals and academics. In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2007-8, practitioners have become much more involved in new financial models that integrate returns and positive social and environmental impacts. The authors argue that previous irresponsible financial models are anachronistic, and propose a new relationship between stakeholder and shareholder. Starting from the mainstreaming of SRI, this book recovers the social function of banks and the innovative role of crowdfunding and venture capital models. The book offers a unified perspective for firm and funder, making it a timely and invaluable read for scholars and practitioners interested in sustainable development and social impact finance.




Perspectives in Sustainable Equity Investing


Book Description

Sustainable investing has recently gained traction throughout the world. This trend has multiple sources, which span from genuine ethical concerns to hopes of performance boosting, and also encompass risk mitigation. The resulting appetite for green assets is impacting the decisions of many investors. Perspectives in Sustainable Equity Investing is an up-to-date review of the academic literature on sustainable equity investing. It covers more than 800 academic sources grouped into six thematic chapters. Designed for corporate sustainability and financial management professionals, this is an ideal reference for ESG-driven financiers (both retail and institutional). Students majoring in finance or economics with some background or interest in ESG concerns would also find this compact overview useful. Key Features: Introduces the reader to terms and nomenclature used in the field. Surveys the link between sustainability and performance (including risk). Details the integration of sustainable criteria in complex portfolio optimization. Reviews the financial liabilities induced by climate change.




Principles of Sustainable Finance


Book Description

Combining theory, empirical data, and policy this book provides a fresh analysis of sustainable finance. It explains the sustainability challenges for corporate investment and shows how finance can steer funding to certain companies and projects without sacrificing return, speeding up the transistion to a sustainable economy.




Financing the Green Transformation


Book Description

Explores challenges for developing and emerging economies for enhancing green financing for sustainable, low-carbon investment, looking at Indonesia. Based on surveys in the Indonesian banking and corporate sectors and expert interviews, it devises innovative policy recommendations to develop a framework conducive to fostering green investments.




Evolutions in Sustainable Investing


Book Description

Sustainable Investing is fast becoming an essential method of generating long-term returns, moving beyond the negative approaches to socially responsible investing that have dominated the field. This book, our second on the subject, provides over 15 case studies of leading global investors and companies demonstrating how they successfully apply sustainability aspects to their core strategies. Learn from prominent thought leaders Dan Esty and Paul Hawken among others who have contributed key chapters. Our chapter on performance shows clearly how these strategies have been working once negative approaches are parsed out by those examining fund returns. This book also examines in great depth what data exists, and what's on the horizon, to best measure & capture sustainability successfully. Regional perspectives, including 3 chapters on Asia, and focuses on Canada, Australia, Africa & India are also included, as is a look across asset classes. Sustainable Investing, when performed with a positive perspective, has been outperforming the mainstream, unlike negative approaches designed to match benchmark returns. From eco-efficiency to sustainability-driven innovation and beyond, investors of all shapes & sizes need to know how best to position themselves for the radical market shifts underway.