Social & Sustainable Finance Chair – Presentation

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Vision

In 2015, the COP21 reached a historic agreement on the global goal of keeping global warming below 2° by 2100. Shortly before COP21, the United Nations and member countries defined the 17 sustainable development goals for the 2030 horizon. To achieve these objectives, the financial sector has its role to play by directing the capital flow towards firms and investment projects that allow these social and environmental objectives to be attained. To do this, for nearly 20 years, the financial sector has been developing reporting and performance measurement tools based on Environmental (E), Social (S), and Governance (G) indicators. Despite numerous efforts by regulators and actors in the financial sector, the need to have clear and common benchmarks has become essential for a successful environmental, social and economic transition. It is in this context that the Montpellier Business School’s Social & Sustainable Finance Chair was created with the objective of being an actor in this transition.

Missions

The mission of the chair is to promote social and sustainable finance through teaching, research, and events, with private and academic partners with focus on two main topics:

Microfinance and social banking
ESG and socially responsible investments

Through teaching, the ambition of the chair is to be an actor in the environmental, social and economic transition by training students and professionals to the challenges of social and sustainable finance. Through research, the chair produces and disseminates knowledge, findings, avenues for reflection, new models so that finance aligns with the objectives of sustainable development, creating positive impacts and limiting negative impacts. Through events, the chair creates a place for collaborations and debates to advance social and sustainable finance in companies, and with regulatory bodies. These events also help raise the general public’s awareness of environmental and social issues in finance.

To carry out this mission, the chair works with private and academic partners to develop teaching and research projects that combine academic rigor and the needs expressed by finance professionals.

Challenges

The challenges of the Chair are part of the global environmental and social challenges. Indeed, in order to succeed in the environmental, social, and economic transition, the participation of all actors in the society is necessary. In this context, the Social & Sustainable Finance Chair participates in this transition through training, research, and events. Indeed, the chair participates in training responsible managers who are aware of environmental and social issues, and who can integrate them into their missions. The research carried out by the chair helps understand, inform, and contribute to the regulatory and digital evolution of social and sustainable finance. The events organized by the chair help raise awareness among the general public, students, researchers, professionals, and regulators on the issues of social and sustainable finance.