Finance can be seen as a human invention that helps move resources over time and space. Tackling sustainability challenges (e.g. global warming) mostly, if not always, requires financial resources. How to make it happen in a profit-driven commercial environment is an unsettled question. The primary aim of this course is to provide students with an extensive and in-depth understanding of the ways in which financial tools can be effectively utilised to achieve sustainability goals.

There has been a growing recognition of the importance of sustainability among regulatory bodies and corporate stakeholders on a global scale in recent years. This course seeks to familiarise students with a range of financial instruments and institutions available for mobilising financial resources to tackle sustainability challenges and to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). These goals encompass a broad spectrum of social and environmental objectives, including but not limited to curbing global warming, promoting gender equality, and reducing income inequality. To appreciate the importance of these goals, students will learn the background knowledge of a diversity of disciplines, including but not limited to social equity, climate science, environmental science, and urban planning. Students will have the opportunity to explore real-life examples of financial initiatives that have been implemented to achieve specific social goals. By examining these cases, students will be able to critically analyse and evaluate the trade-offs involved from the perspectives of different stakeholders. This will deepen their understanding of the complex dynamics between financial decisions and sustainable outcomes, enabling them to make informed choices in their future endeavours. By empowering students with the ability to harness the power of financial tools for sustainable development, this course aims at producing a generation of graduates who are equipped with financial literacy to tackle the pressing challenges of our time, shaping a more sustainable and equitable future for both local and global communities.