Banks are frequently considered usurers. Is it possible to talk about ethics when you analyse banking activity? This book focuses on this question and starts with the history and the philosophy. Philosophers like Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill proposed different theories about the need for ethics in finance. If we accept Mill's thought, the production of wealth in society is driven by the personal pursuit of profit. But - unfortunately - this does not, on its own, ensure collective well-being. It must be guided by a superior mechanism which transforms it into wealth for all....

Development needs to meet the UN SDG have primarily been financed through private sector financing, conventional public sector funding and philanthropic commitment. These sources are not sufficient in scale and speed to meet the pressing finance needs. The world community is too busy repairing, stabilizing, and refunding the system to maintain the stability of the existing system. The introduction of a parallel electronic currency specifically designed to finance global commons, and a human-centred economy would provide the necessary resources to achieve the UN SDGs while stabilizing the...

This book analyses the new strategic decisions of the European Central Bank. Contributors from different fields examine especially the sustainability strategy of the ECB: What role can the European Central Bank play in fighting climate change?  ECB President Christine Lagarde has repeatedly confirmed that the central bank wants to play a role in coping with climate change. What will this role be? What instruments does the ECB have to make a difference in challenges such as the defossilization of the economy and transport, biodiversity, the energy transition, resource consumption and other...

Sustainable finance is a holistic approach to the sustainability development goals (SDG), so that the interdependence between environmental, social, and governance issues is unveiled. Sustainable finance takes into account the various challenges following from social change and sustainability, the evolution of capital markets, and the development of efficient risk management practices. Governance issues are an integral part of sustainable finance. However, academic literature has generally neglected to consider strategies to prevent and fight financial crimes as a crucial component of...

In the COVID 19 post-pandemic era, sustainable financial systems are increasingly getting the attention they deserve, and policymakers are now moving toward investment and financing decisions based on sustainable development. Green finance plays an important role in mobilizing financial resources and hedging against environmental risk to achieve financially sustainable systems. Moreover, green financial instruments offer viable alternatives for investors and regulators with regard to portfolio management and risk minimization. Over the last few years, financial technology (FinTech) has grown...

Do you want to know how to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data into business valuation? This book will help you do so step-by-step.The book primarily aims at reaching two types of audiences: practitioners and students in finance (graduate and undergraduate level). Practitioners in finance will find interest in the book, as it will give them access to academic knowledge in a format that suits them. Academic research has made substantial advances in the field of business valuation and ESG. The book intends to transform this knowledge into practical and rigorous...