How to create a sustainable financial Sector: Voluntary codes of conduct and financial sector regulations

The David O'Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise at the John Molson School of Business presents Olaf Weber, Associate Professor at the School for Environment, Enterprise, and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo and the director of the Master’s Program in Sustainability Management.

The sustainability of the financial sector has been an important topic since the last financial crisis, and continues to be widely discussed in light of the new climate change policies following the United Nation’s COP21 and Canada’s change of government. This presentation will discuss the financial sector’s voluntary codes of conduct and regulations - such as UNPRI and the Chinese Green Credit Policy - and their impact on the sustainability of financial institutions. The presentations will address such questions as: Which stakeholders and institutions affect codes of conduct and guidelines? How do stakeholders and institutions influence the sustainable performance of financial institutions? Do policies focusing on the financial sector help support climate change mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development?

About Olaf Weber

Olaf Weber is an associate professor at the School for Environment, Enterprise, and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo and the director of the Master’s Program in Sustainability Management. Before coming to Waterloo, Dr. Weber was a researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology in Zurich, a consultant for banks in Switzerland and Germany, and a member of the board of a social bank. He is also the editor in chief of the Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment. His research focuses on environmental risk management in the lending business, the financial effects of socially responsible investing, social and impact investing, and the effects of corporate sustainability performance on the financial performance of firms.