Sustainable (public and private) finance is closely interlinked with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The latter focus on enhancing the protection of both social and environmental assets at the local and global level, from the real economy and everyday life to financial markets and public policies, thereby laying the groundwork for a transition. Global sustainability challenges – including climate change, natural resource depletion, and rising inequality – are affecting the commercial environment and real economy in a way that presents both risks and opportunities for the private and public financial sectors. On the one hand, policymakers and investors (including banks and pensions funds) are increasingly recognizing the environment’s implications for the financial sector through both physical and transitional risks, producing impacts on financial services and products, not to mention corporate governance. On the other hand, governments and European and international institutions are aware of their sustainability-related responsibilities and the consequences of their actions. Both regulate and supervise financial markets but also use their budgetary and tax policies (e.g. carbon tax) and their participation in financial markets (e.g. green bonds and development banks) to overcome sustainability challenges. Therefore, the objective of this book is to help readers understand how private and public financial systems can be modified to create better value for society through sustainable approaches and initiatives such as the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in investment, procurement, and budgeting.
