Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • explain the limits to our current economic and business models and why sustainability matters ;
  • define SF, know its three stages and how it can be declined on the different financial sectors (equities, bonds, banking and insurance)
  • evaluate the sustainability of a coporate/investment project by means of approriate accouting/metrics/models
  • read, analyse, criticize research papers on various topics pertaining to SF

 

Goals

The main objectives of the course are the following:

  1. Equip you with strong milestones supported by up-to-date scientific facts about the environmental and social challenges of our times;
  2. Document the limitations of standard finance to explain a series a stylized facts and present alternative theoretical frameworks and models ;
  3. Provide an overview of the main concepts related to sustainable finance (SF hereafter) as well as the attempts to regulate the system

 

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Material (videos, articles) will be posted regularly on Webcampus and require personal work to constitute a learning portfolio in addition to the slides already available (warning: updated version will be posted progressively)
  • Assignments will be due all along the semester (more info soon)

 

Assessment method

Assignment

Sources, references and any support material

  • Giraud et al. (2017) Transition ́ecologique et ́energ ́etique dans les pays du Sud Coursera.
  • Hens et Rieger (2010) Financial Economics, A concise introduction to classic and behavioral finance
    Springer.
  • Krüger and Schlaepfer (2017) Finance and Sustainability Course notes, University of Geneva.
  • Schoenmaker, D. and W. Schramade (2018) Principles of Sustainable Finance Oxford Univ. Press.

 

Language of instruction

English