IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i2p975-d482925.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What Do We Mean by Sustainable Finance? Assessing Existing Frameworks and Policy Risks

Author

Listed:
  • Marco Migliorelli

    (European Commission, 1049 Brussels, Belgium
    Sorbonne Business School, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, 75013 Paris, France
    The ideas presented in this paper do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Commission.)

Abstract

I observe that the sustainable finance landscape as it stands today is featured by an overabundance of heterogeneous concepts, definitions, industry and policy standards. I argue that such heterogeneity may hinder the smooth development of the conceptual thinking underpinning sustainable finance and originates specific risks that may harm the credibility of the nascent market. These risks include green and sustainable washing, the rebranding of financial flows without additionality, the disordered adjustment in the cost of capital spreads between industries. I argue that to reflect the actual industry and policy context as wells as to steer conceptual and applied practice sustainable finance should be today referred to as “ finance for sustainability ”. To this extent, both its definition and implementing standards should make clear reference to the relevant sustainability dimensions (in particular in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement) and to the sectors or activities that positively contribute to these dimensions.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Migliorelli, 2021. "What Do We Mean by Sustainable Finance? Assessing Existing Frameworks and Policy Risks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:975-:d:482925
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/2/975/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/2/975/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christopher Pollitt, 2015. "Wickedness will not wait: climate change and public management research," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 181-186, May.
    2. Gayle Peterson & Robert Yawson & Ellen JK & Jeremy Nicholls, 2020. "Navigating Big Finance and Big Technology for Global Change," Palgrave Studies in Impact Finance, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-3-030-40712-4, January.
    3. Rozenberg, Julie & Vogt-Schilb, Adrien & Hallegatte, Stephane, 2020. "Instrument choice and stranded assets in the transition to clean capital," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    4. Jane Andrew & Corinne Cortese, 2011. "Accounting for climate change and the self-regulation of carbon disclosures," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 130-138, September.
    5. Zerbib, Olivier David, 2019. "The effect of pro-environmental preferences on bond prices: Evidence from green bonds," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 39-60.
    6. Gunnar Friede & Timo Busch & Alexander Bassen, 2015. "ESG and financial performance: aggregated evidence from more than 2000 empirical studies," Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(4), pages 210-233, October.
    7. Cary Coglianese & Shana M. Starobin, 2020. "Social Science and the Analysis of Environmental Policy," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 37(5), pages 578-604, September.
    8. Magdalena Ziolo & Beata Zofia Filipiak & Iwona Bąk & Katarzyna Cheba & Diana Mihaela Tîrca & Isabel Novo-Corti, 2019. "Finance, Sustainability and Negative Externalities. An Overview of the European Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-35, August.
    9. Kalkuhl, Matthias & Steckel, Jan Christoph & Edenhofer, Ottmar, 2020. "All or nothing: Climate policy when assets can become stranded," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    10. Andrew, Jane & Cortese, Corinne, 2011. "Accounting for climate change and the self-regulation of carbon disclosures," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 130-138.
    11. Béatrice Parguel & Florence Benoît-Moreau & Cristel Russell, 2015. "Can evoking nature in advertising mislead consumers? The power of ‘executional greenwashing'," Post-Print hal-01463025, HAL.
    12. Tessa Hebb, 2013. "Impact investing and responsible investing: what does it mean?," Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(2), pages 71-74, April.
    13. Neil Eccles, 2010. "UN Principles for Responsible Investment Signatories and the Anti-Apartheid SRI Movement: A Thought Experiment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(3), pages 415-424, September.
    14. N. Eccles & S. Viviers, 2011. "The Origins and Meanings of Names Describing Investment Practices that Integrate a Consideration of ESG Issues in the Academic Literature," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 104(3), pages 389-402, December.
    15. Oscar Widerberg & Philipp Pattberg, 2017. "Accountability Challenges in the Transnational Regime Complex for Climate Change," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 34(1), pages 68-87, January.
    16. Christopher Pollitt, 2016. "Debate: Climate change--the ultimate wicked issue," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 78-80, March.
    17. Marco Migliorelli & Philippe Dessertine, 2020. "Sustainability and Financial Risks," Post-Print hal-03476920, HAL.
    18. Andrew Park & Curtis Ravenel, 2013. "Integrating Sustainability Into Capital Markets: Bloomberg LP And ESG's Quantitative Legitimacy," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 25(3), pages 62-67, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cojoianu, Theodor F. & Hoepner, Andreas G.F. & Lin, Yanan, 2022. "Private market impact investing firms: Ownership structure and investment style," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    2. Arnaud Gougler & Sebastian Utz, 2020. "Factor exposures and diversification: Are sustainably screened portfolios any different?," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 34(3), pages 221-249, September.
    3. Siti Indati MUSTAPA & Noor Raida ABD RAHMAN & Amar Hisham JAAFFAR & Nor Salwati OTHMAN & Syarifah Mardhiah Syed SALIM, 2024. "Policy Recommendation to Achieve a Carbon-Neutral Economy: The Case of Corporate Governance and Carbon Performance in Malaysia's Smart Cities," Working Papers DP-2024-21, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
    4. Preeti Sharma & Priyanka Panday & R. C. Dangwal, 2020. "Determinants of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) disclosure: a study of Indian companies," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(4), pages 208-217, December.
    5. Bikki Jaggi & Alessandra Allini & Riccardo Macchioni & Annamaria Zampella, 2018. "Do investors find carbon information useful? Evidence from Italian firms," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 50(4), pages 1031-1056, May.
    6. K. Thomas Liaw, 2020. "Survey of Green Bond Pricing and Investment Performance," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-12, August.
    7. Pruthiranjan Dwibedi & Debasis Pahi & Antarjyami Sahu, 2024. "Mapping the landscape of environmental, social and governance research: A bibliometric analysis," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(5), pages 3745-3767, September.
    8. Wang, Fangjun & Sun, Junqin & Liu, Yang Stephanie, 2019. "Institutional pressure, ultimate ownership, and corporate carbon reduction engagement: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 14-26.
    9. Helfaya, Akrum & Aboud, Ahmed & Amin, Essam, 2023. "An examination of corporate environmental goals disclosure, sustainability performance and firm value – An Egyptian evidence," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    10. Husain, Shaiara & Sohag, Kazi & Wu, Yanrui, 2022. "The response of green energy and technology investment to climate policy uncertainty: An application of twin transitions strategy," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    11. Leonardo Becchetti & Emanuele Bobbio & Federico Prizia & Lorenzo Semplici, 2022. "Going Deeper into the S of ESG: A Relational Approach to the Definition of Social Responsibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-22, August.
    12. Zhang, Ying & Andrew, Jane, 2022. "Financialisation and the Conceptual Framework: An update," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    13. Amer Shakkour & Hamza Alaodat & Emad Alqisi & Ali Alghazawi, 2018. "The Role of Environmental Accounting in Sustainable Development. Empirical Study," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 8(1), pages 1-5.
    14. Li, WeiWei & Padmanabhan, Prasad & Huang, Chia-Hsing, 2024. "ESG and debt structure: Is the nature of this relationship nonlinear?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    15. Andrea Cardoni & Evgeniia Kiseleva & Simone Terzani, 2019. "Evaluating the Intra-Industry Comparability of Sustainability Reports: The Case of the Oil and Gas Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-23, February.
    16. Gillan, Stuart L. & Koch, Andrew & Starks, Laura T., 2021. "Firms and social responsibility: A review of ESG and CSR research in corporate finance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    17. Axel Haller & Chris J. van Staden & Cristina Landis, 2018. "Value Added as part of Sustainability Reporting: Reporting on Distributional Fairness or Obfuscation?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 763-781, October.
    18. Frederik Dahlmann & Layla Branicki & Stephen Brammer, 2019. "Managing Carbon Aspirations: The Influence of Corporate Climate Change Targets on Environmental Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 158(1), pages 1-24, August.
    19. Miley, Frances & Read, Andrew, 2021. "Soldiers don't go mad: Shell shock and accounting intransigence in the British Army 1914-18," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(2).
    20. Rashmeet Kaur & John Patsavellas & Yousef Haddad & Konstantinos Salonitis, 2023. "The Concept of Carbon Accounting in Manufacturing Systems and Supply Chains," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-17, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:975-:d:482925. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.