Sustainable Finance and Climate Change

Law and Regulation

Elgar Financial Law and Practice series

Edited by René Smits, Professor Emeritus, Law of the Economic and Monetary Union, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Sustainable Finance and Climate Change explores the legal and regulatory framework that governs the transition to a carbon free economy, looking in particular at the regulation of the financial sector and corporate liability for climate change and biodiversity loss. In addition it looks at the effect on general corporate law, environmental law, central bank law, as well as litigation and arbitration.

‘This book discusses the impact of the currently severe climate change and biodiversity losses on the regulation of the financial system and the drive towards sustainable finance. It provides an in-depth analysis of the role of law and regulation in providing sustainable finance by means of various financial modalities, the duty of societal responsibility in the context of corporate governance, the role of investors in the context of the new sustainable finance-related regulatory framework, the related newly-established framework in the EU – including the role of ECB as a monetary and supervisory authority under its mandate – as well as in South Africa, and, finally, the significance of arbitration and litigation in the resolution of climate change-related disputes.’
– Christos Gortsos, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

''This book combines views in a way that is comprehensive and original, practical and insightful. René Smits as an editor, much like René Smits as an author, invites us to descend into the detail of legal challenges, while not letting us forget the human side behind them.''
– David Ramos Muńoz, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain

‘Addressing the existential threat posed by climate change requires policy makers to take an entirely holistic approach, one which integrates legal, regulatory and financial sector reform. This volume makes an invaluable contribution to this effort by bringing together the thinking of most informed academics and practitioners in the area.’
——肖恩·哈根,Georgetown Law, US and former General Counsel of the International Monetary Fund

‘Sustainability is the common denominator that summarises the key challenges of our day: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, social sustainability (encompassing also governance and ethical considerations). Financing the green transition is essential for the future of our planet. René Smits brings together a distinguished group of legal and regulatory experts to dissect the challenges of climate change and sustainable finance in what is destined to become an essential reference in the subject both for an interested general audience and for the specialist readership.’
– Rosa M. Lastra, Queen Mary University of London, UK