Relating Financial Systems to Sustainability Transitions: Challenges, Demands and Dimensions

Chantal P. Naidoo ()
Additional contact information
Chantal P. Naidoo: SPRU, University of Sussex, UK

SPRU Working Paper Series from SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School

Abstract: The Paris Climate Agreement, SDGs and Addis Ababa Action Agenda call for the financial system's approach to sustainability and climate breakdown to be "consistent and integrated". So far, sustainability transitions (ST) research fails to engage with such calls, offering limited analyses and conceptualisation of financial systems and transition processes. In this paper, a scoping review of finance and ST research shows a polarised context, ranging from nascent orthodox to critical analysis with limited cross-engagement. The paper applies a novel approach towards bridging the polarity; by interpreting the characteristics of the sustainability transition process from the perspective of the demands, it places on the financial system. Five initial demands emerge - directional changes, temporal dynamics, co-existent systems impact, contested social context and contextual experimentation. Finally, the paper offers initial dimensions for scholars to engage in for informing the response of financial systems to the demands of sustainability transitions.

Keywords: Sustainability transitions; Financial systems; Climate breakdown; Characteristics of sustainability transitions; Demands of sustainability transitions. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-08
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php? ... s-naidoo.pdf&site=25 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sru:ssewps:2019-18

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in SPRU Working Paper Series from SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by University of Sussex Business School Communications Team ().