Time: 13:00-15:00 (UK Time), Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Presenters: Dr Sandra Kendo, Dr Baran Siyahhan and Dr Qing Xu, Lille Catholic University
Chair: Professor Victor Murinde, SOAS University of London

Abstract
In this paper, we aim to clarify the definition and basic concepts of sustainable finance used in the existing literature. We then analyze the influence of sustainable finance considerations on the banking sector, especially with respect to green loans. We also identify the financial drivers and current challenges of sustainable finance. We propose a simple conceptual model to analyze how banks make financial decisions for projects and show how those decisions could be improved by incorporating ESG issues.   

Keywords: Financial Sustainability, Low Carbon Emissions, ESG and Sustainable Lending. 

Presenters

Sandra Kendo is an Associate Professor of Monetary and Banking Economics at Lille Catholic University. She is an active researcher of AERC (African Research Consortium) and a member of the Sustainable Cities Lab. Her current research is on Impact Investing, Sustainable Finance, and Financial Stability. Additionally, With Baran and Qing, they are developing an applied research project, funded between 2022 to 2026 by “Le Conseil Régional des Hauts de France”, on how to construct a financial and extra-financial composite index for small and medium enterprises. 

Baran Siyahhan is an Associate Professor of Finance at Lille Catholic University. He is a member of the Sustainable Cities Lab. His research interests are mainly in corporate finance and industrial organization and include themes in entrepreneurial finance, platform economics and sustainable finance.   

Qing Xu is an Associate Professor of Finance at Lille Catholic University and an associate member of GREDEG research team (CNRS). She received a PhD in economics from Université Côte d'Azur in 2014. Her primary research interest is in m-payment in Asia & Africa, exporting the m-payment models to other countries, but also fintech development, digital currency, and sustainable finance.