The concept of “Sustainable Finance” relates to any form of financial service integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into the business or investment decisions for the lasting benefit of both clients and society at large.
A sustainable financial centre is a financial marketplace that, by and large, contributes to sustainable development and value creation in economic, environmental and social terms. That is to say, one that guarantees and makes better the economic efficiency, prosperity, and economic competitiveness both today and in the long-term, while contributing to protecting and restoring ecological systems, and augmenting cultural diversity and social well-being.
The activities that come under the heading of sustainable finance, to name just a few, include sustainable funds, green bonds, impact investing, microfinance, active ownership, credits for sustainable projects and development of the whole financial system in a more tenable way.
The terminology used in sustainable finance can be confusing as there are few standard definitions, and different countries and organizations use the same terms to mean different things. It is advised that one must look up for their exact definition under financial glossary to get an overview on the variety of terms.
What are sustainable finance products?
To talk of sustainable financial products, there are several kinds of the same – the best known of which are ethical or sustainable investment funds (SRI UCIs). Some lesser known products include sustainable insurance products, sustainable savings products and sustainable credits (‘green loans’).
What is the importance of finance in the present-day world?
Without doubt, finance is one of the utmost critical aspects of a business. Because of huge funds, daily cash flow and continuous transaction, managing and monitoring all of the above become absolutely necessary. And, when it comes to making decisions, managing finance is unquestionably influential.