Sustainable Finance Symposium

Description

The Finance Department at the University of St Andrews Business School and Centre for Responsible Banking and Finance (CRBF), in collaboration with Scotland Beyond Net Zero and with support from the St Andrews Centre for Critical Sustainabilities, hosted its Sustainable Finance Symposium on 18 March 2026 as part of the University’s Sustainability Week.

The symposium brought together academics and practitioners from across the UK and Europe to examine whether the rapid rise of sustainable finance is translating into meaningful change. Ralph De Haas (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) opened the day with a keynote on how banks are navigating climate commitments in emerging markets, setting the tone for a day focused on the gap between ambition and delivery. In his talk he outlined evidence that banks signing international climate initiatives do follow through with stronger green lending practices, and that their borrowers are in turn more likely to undertake green investments.

Research presentations explored how firms respond to biodiversity transition risk, with evidence that firms cut jobs in areas exposed to future land-use restrictions while reallocating labour toward green occupations (Huyen Nguyen, King’s College London); how the floods reshape credit pricing, as banks reduce rates for firms that adapt through insurance and local climate protection measures, shifting the burden of disaster risk towards insurance companies rather than banks (Oliver Rehbein, WU Vienna); and how political context shapes sustainable investment decisions, with evidence that when government is perceived as less likely to regulate, some investors increase their green allocations to privately offset policy shortcomings (Stefano Ramelli, University of St Gallen). A consistent theme emerged: while frameworks and commitments have expanded rapidly, understanding and managing these complex risks in practice remains a significant challenge.

The afternoon featured a poster session showcasing work by early-career researchers from across Scottish and UK institutions, followed by a policy panel — “Making Sustainable Finance Work in Practice: A Scottish Perspective” — moderated by Dimitris Andriosopoulos (University of Strathclyde), with panellists Di Luo (University of Dundee), Stefanie O’Gorman (Ramboll), Simon Thompson, and Claire Wallace-Jones (Barclays UK). The discussion highlighted that sustainable finance is not retreating — rather, the bar for what counts as genuine transition finance has risen. Panellists noted that Scotland’s challenge is not a lack of capital (Edinburgh ranks 18th globally in green finance) but coordination: connecting that capital to investible projects in areas such as grid infrastructure, place-based investment, and nature financing. The panel also stressed that re-skilling the workforce is as important as mobilising capital, and that finance and education policy must move together.

The symposium was organised by Dr Eleonora Sfrappini (Lecturer in Finance) with support from Dr Maria Chiara Iannino and Dr Karishma Ansaram from Scotland Beyond Net Zero.

Period	18 Mar 2026
Event type	Conference
Location	St Andrews, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International