State of the Federation 2019

Green Finance: New Directions in Sustainable Finance Research and Policy

La finance verte: Nouvelles directions en recherche et en politiques publiques de la finance durable

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The 2015 Paris Agreement represented the commitment of 197 nations to limit global warming to no more than 2°C, setting climate resilience and clean growth as one of the most influential multi-level governance opportunities of the 21st century. This set a new direction for even the world’s most progressive economies, requiring a sea of change in the interaction between rapid technological innovation, international policies, consumption patterns, and investment behaviors. Canada remains committed to the Paris Agreement as outlined in the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, which prescribes a concerted focus to translate climate goals into transformative economic policies and sustainable financial practices. It is universally accepted that finance plays a critical role in achieving the transition to a clean economy, and that it will require significant collaboration and governance co-ordination between private and public financial institutions, and with policy makers. The quest for energy and natural resources in Canada can be quenched through a clear path of transformations in the financial sector. Canada has the chance to become a world leader in showing that low-carbon-economy bears incredible economic and societal opportunities. In this evolving global economy, businesses, insurance companies, banks, pension funds, mutual funds, academia, not-for-profit, and government institutions must have the knowledge about financial risks of stalling action around climate change, and recognize that sustainability is crucial to Canada’s long-term success. 

This conference serves as an ideal opportunity to engage leaders from academics, civil society, financial industry and government to share interests, present new research ideas, reflect on multi-level governance trends, and discuss current and challenging issues in sustainable finance. Organized by Dr. J. Andrew Grant (Department of Political Studies) and Dr. Sean Cleary (Smith School of Business), the conference will bring experts from these sectors to Queen’s University in order to disseminate and exchange such insights with fellow participants as well as the Queen’s community and public. Ultimately, the goal of the conference is to serve as a platform for building new research collaborations aimed at contributing to the transition of Canada’s financial system to one in which sustainable growth is engrained in everyday policy decisions and business practices.