The course is to provide an overview of the key financing mechanisms of sustainability initiatives and related regulatory and policy issues. The course is built upon the public finance foundation, with great emphases on externalities, governance, public finance instruments, and public accountability and reporting. It will also introduce market-oriented financing mechanisms and corporate involvement in financing sustainability. The course is interdisciplinary and introductory, targeting a broad audience that is not necessarily intended to be technical analysts in the financial industry.
The course covers the following topics: a) market failures, and the importance of cross-sectoral partnership in financing sustainability; b) policy and governance design for sustainable finance; c) rethinking the roles of accounting, public reporting, and measurement; and d) financing tools for sustainability.