Accounting and Finance Department host first Leeds Climate Finance & Sustainability Workshop
On Wednesday 17 April, the Accounting & Finance department at Leeds University Business School hosted the first ever Leeds Climate Finance & Sustainability (LCFS) workshop.
The event demonstrated the Business School’s commitment to integrating sustainability into financial practices. By focusing on climate finance and sustainability, the Business School can contribute to the transition towards a greener economy, where financial decisions align with environmental objectives.
Funded by the Climate Change and Environmental Research Fund (CCERF), part of the LUBS Sustainability, net-zero, and the green economy research initiative aligned with the LUBS Sustainability Strategy. The aim of this event was to discuss the important role of finance and accounting research in addressing the climate challenge by shaping corporate decisions and government policies.
Guest speaker and Professor of Finance at the University of Birmingham, Hisham Farag, commented:
This event offers opportunities for academics from different disciplines to get together and share ideas about a timely topic. The quality of presentations and round table discussions were excellent and quite a few research ideas were generated along with action plans for the future research direction on sustainable finance.
The workshop was open to finance and accounting academics, economists, environmental scientists, journal editors, and postgraduate researchers. Speakers included leading academics working on some of the most promising research projects in the field of climate finance and sustainability. The list of guest speakers included:
- Dr Matthew Agarwala (University of Cambridge)
- Dr Patrycja Klusak (University of East Anglia)
- Dr Apostolos Kourtis (University of East Anglia)
- Professor Hisham Farag (University of Birmingham)
- Professor Viet Dang (University of Manchester)
- Professor Chendi Zhang (University of Exeter)
- Dr Monica Contestabile (Chief Editor, Nature Sustainability)
The event was split in two sessions. The morning session featured seven presentations by leading experts in climate finance and sustainability. Each speaker shared their latest research and insights, followed by Q&A sessions fostering interactive dialogue, feedback and exchange of ideas.
The presentations were based on cutting-edge research on the consequences of biodiversity loss, green bond and FinTech, sovereign wealth fund and corporate ESG performance, labour mobility and corporate environmental policies, and the link between extreme temperatures and asset prices.
Notably, Dr Monica Contestabile, the Chief Editor of Nature Sustainability, offered guidance on publishing sustainability research in this highly prestigious journal.
The afternoon session featured a roundtable discussion of all our invited experts, focused on charting the trajectory of climate finance and sustainability research, exploring innovative approaches and strategies to address the pressing challenges ahead.
The discussion leads to a deeper understanding of the roles of capital markets, corporations, and government policies in promoting the green economy, highlighting the importance of having reliable data on climate change and actions for research and policymaking.
Guest speaker and Associate Professor in Finance at the University of East Anglia, Dr Apostolos Kourtis, commented:
The first Leeds Climate Finance & Sustainability workshop (LCFS) was a resounding success in providing a highly engaging platform for experts to discuss critical issues and directions for future research in the intersection of Finance and Sustainability.
Workshop co-chair and Professor of Sustainable Finance at the University of Leeds, Bin Xu, commented:
This event signals our commitment to conducting cutting-edge research in the area. It also reflects our drive to find answers and applicable solutions for achieving net-zero emissions and environmental sustainability.
