Performance Framework: Effectiveness

Effectiveness concerns the degree to which markets price sustainability factors are into asset values. This is core to assessing the existence of market failures, although there remains a need to distinguish market failures and policy weaknesses associated with the real economy (e.g. lack of carbon pricing) and market failures and policy weaknesses in the financial economy, such as not considering the potential market impacts of future carbon pricing.

Inquiry Publications

Aligning the Financial System with Sustainable Development in the United States of America

Date: 01-Feb-2016

The US financial system is undoubtedly among the largest, most innovative and most sophisticated in the world. It is also clear that this is both a benefit and an impediment to non-governmental investment in sustainability and inclusiveness. To date, the actual investment in infrastructure and sustainability does not meet current needs, especially those related to maintaining
Values Based Banking

Date: 21-Aug-2015

Values based banking is a diverse movement drawing in community banks, ethical, green and socially oriented banks and including cooperatives, credit unions, privately owned banks, B Corporations and public companies that is purposively oriented towards the development of a sustainable economy. The paper identifies four values that need to be at the heart of a
China Report: Lessons from the Development of Green Finance in China

Date: 06-Oct-2015

With the initial progress of China’s green finance market, some lessons are emerging that are useful both for the further development of the green finance system and for other emerging market countries embarking on green finance development. Strategic political commitment has been the key driver for China’s development of green finance, but translating this into
Green Finance for Developing Countries

Date: 15-Jul-2016

This report outlines key concerns and needs of developing countries in relation to green finance, particularly focusing on developing countries that are not members of the G20. It also highlights emerging innovations, drawing in particular from engagement with practitioners and regulators from Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, Honduras, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand
The Financial System We Need: Aligning the Financial System with Sustainable Development

Date: 08-Oct-2015

Download the full report: [AR] [CH] [EN] [ES] [FR] [PT] [RU] Download the policy summary: [AR] [CH] [EN] [ES] [FR] [PT] [RU] This first edition of “The Financial System We Need” argues that there is now a historic opportunity to shape a financial system that can more effectively finance the development of an inclusive, green economy. This opportunity is based on a growing trend
A Review of International Financial Standards as They Relate to Sustainable Development

Date: 22-Feb-2017

The report, a companion to the second edition of “The Financial System We Need”, examines how the international financial standards currently relate to the goals of sustainable development and explores opportunities for better alignment as a way to promote greater stability, resilience and fairness to the financial system. The key messages are: Financial standards have
Effects of Financial System Size and Structure on the Real Economy

Date: 07-Nov-2015

This paper provides an overview of the findings in the empirical economics and finance literature on the effects that various financial system characteristics have on real economic outcomes. Although the empirical evidence on various relationships is mixed, there appears to be relatively robust empirical evidence that: financial deepening promotes economic development only up to a
China Report: A Framework for Green Finance

Date: 06-Oct-2015

The existence of externalities has made it hard to quantify the intrinsic value of the “green mountains and blue water” of the natural environment. This has led to a dysfunction in traditional financial markets, which are delivering an insufficient supply of capital for green development and an oversupply of capital for highly polluting activities. As a new financial
China Report: Problems and Difficulties in the Development of China’s Green Finance

Date: 06-Oct-2015

In recent years, financial market policy-makers and regulators in China have shown leadership in advancing their roles in creating a green financial system. However, the impacts to date have been constrained by countervailing forces. In particular, the performance criteria on which local government officials are assessed still prioritizes economic growth over environmental compliance. The positive
On the Role of Central Banks in Enhancing Green Finance

Date: 20-Feb-2017

The paper examines the role of central banks in ‘greening’ financial systems. Given the enormous investments needed to bring about a green transformation, the financial sector will have to play a central role in allocating resources towards a sustainable and green economy – and stop financing activities that harm the environment. Against this backdrop, the