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About Sustainable Finance Institute

About the Sustainable Finance Institute (SFI) Issues such as pollution and climate change challenge the ongoing viability, effectiveness, and social utility of the global financial market system. Academics, regulators, and practitioners continue to explore ways in which markets can be best structured to avoid excessive risk while creating environments that encourage the right opportunities. A widespread focus on short-term performance, self-serving behavior, and outright fraud also is not seen as optimal. Ongoing revelations of fraudulent behavior such as the recent Libor and Forex market manipulations cause an increasing number of market participants to question the adequacy of checks and balanced in traditional financial markets, making sustainability within finance an appealing subject for increased study and implementation. Sustainability and finance were historically opposing forces, which are now coming together to enable best financial success alongside evolving improved societal outcomes. Sustainability without a business case is just philanthropy, which while a fine and noble thing unto itself, is insufficient for solving the problems at hand. Finance without sustainability is a recipe for environmental and social disaster – issues such as climate change, fresh water shortages, pollution and increased levels of inequity and inequality are not solved without adequate specific focus. The old maxim of maximizing shareholder returns has broadened in scope to encompass a larger mission: one that includes achieving social and environmental objectives, alongside financial returns. It is in this context that sustainable finance has gained momentum and that we, at the Sustainable Finance Institute (SFI), will encourage the development of communities of best practice and research.

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