Principles of Sustainable Finance

Sustainable finance has emerged as a major new field for practitioners, but has largely bypassed the classroom for lack of a good textbook. Principles of Sustainable Finance is an impressive textbook that fills this important gap. It lucidly explains the fundamental challenge climate change poses for financial markets. It is extremely well-informed about the latest developments and weaves together a coherent account of widely dispersed approaches, including research that is otherwise inaccessible to the layman. It is essential reading for any student seeking to understand the main ideas and trends in sustainable finance. * Patrick Bolton, Professor of Business at Columbia University *
The financial system is integral to achieving a smooth transition to a low carbon economy. Based on their extensive careers in finance and academia, Schoenmaker and Schramade set out an insightful vision for a sustainable financial sector, one where social and environmental dimensions are integrated within financial decisions. At a time when the need for a sustainable financial system becomes ever more pressing, this book furthers the debate on how to get there and what role each financial market participant has to play. * Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England *
The UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 are predicated on the idea that current and future generations have the resources needed to ensure access to clean water, food, shelter, health, education and energy, irrespective of the place of birth, while caring and preserving our common home: The Earth. In Principles of Sustainable Finance, Dirk Schoenmaker and Willem Schramade discuss the importance of sustainable finance and how it can help allocate resources to individual and social needs, over time, while respecting our planetâs boundaries. It is an indispensable read for students, professionals and policy-makers. * Vitor Gaspar, Director of the Fiscal Affairs Department at the International Monetary Fun *
I am sometimes asked what a biologist is doing at the Ministry of Finance. The answer is simple: there is no better place for a biologist than working with finance. With the monumental challenges we are facing, such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity, mainstream finance needs to become truly sustainable. This implies that a larger skillset is needed for those dealing with economics. This textbook contributes to the change needed. * Per Bolund, Minister for Financial Markets in Sweden *
The investment decisions of today shape our future. We have a choice. Do we maximise short-term returns, or create long-term sustainable value? It is becoming increasingly clear that society is reaching ecological and social boundaries, and that we can only prosper if we respect these boundaries. Principles of Sustainable Finance provides investors and financiers with the tools to make the right decisions, now and in the future. * Eloy Lindeijer, Chief Investment Officer at PGGM *
With this work, Schoenmaker and Schramade make an invaluable contribution to the role of finance in the transition of the global economy to a low carbon growth path. It should be required reading in the C-suite of any bank grappling with what climate change means for its lending strategy. * Stewart James, Managing Director at Public Affairs at HSBC *
Principles of Sustainable Finance comes with a perfect timing: all around the planet a new, long-term and responsible capitalism is emerging. It requires to combine both a new academic perspective and attention to its concrete implementation. This is exactly what this important book achieves and makes it so valuable for both students, researchers and practitioners. * Fred Samama, Co-Head of Institutional Clients at Amundi *