Sustainable Finance Beyond Market Utopias

Politics and the economic mainstream have placed great expectations on sustainable finance. The disclosure of climate-related financial risks and moderate incentives for private capital are intended to direct financial assets into sustainable investments - so far with limited success.

The contributions in this volume examine the activities, strategies, and positions of actors from finance, regulation, civil society, and the real economy. They show why sustainable finance strategies fall short of their claims: their theoretical assumptions prove to be incorrect, and they operate within a narrowly defined political framework.

From sociological, political science, and heterodox economic perspectives, the volume considers sustainable finance in its social context. It analyzes the possibilities and limits of a financial sector that is supposed to contribute to socio-ecological transformation and asks how sustainable finance can be rethought and realigned beyond market-centered governance approaches.