On May 20, 2022, renowned academics from all over the world gathered on NEOMA Paris campus for its first Conference on Sustainable Finance, organised by the school Finance department and “Finance for Good” sub-area of Excellence.

This first edition was a success with three academic sessions, featuring 10 papers selected out of 75 submissions, highlighted by the keynote address of Prof. Jean-Charles Rochet, on why firms issue green bonds.

The conference participants, both academics and practitioners, joined us in person from Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, UK and all parts of France, to participate to this vibrant discussion forum, exchange with colleagues, get feedback on their research and enjoy a high-quality closing panel where Nathalie Aufauvre (Banque de France), Mariam Mhadhbi (Valuemetrics), Cédric Renaud (Mazars France) and Lionel Tangy-Malca (Homa Capital) shared with us their expertise and views on ESG and the future of Finance.

Jung Hyun AHN, professor in NEOMA Finance department and co-organiser of the Conference

“In order to reach our goal of sharing the current state-of-the-art in the understanding of sustainable Finance, we conducted a very rigorous selection process. We received more than 50 papers from various international universities following our last December call of papers. We selected 10 papers based on their quality, relevance, and originality of the paper. We designed three sessions that covered research on corporations’ borrowing behaviors, investors active in green finance, and climate risk.

Jean-Charles Rochet is an international leading scholar in Financial Economics

His participation as a keynote speaker contributes to the visibility and credibility of the quality of the Conference. Professor Rochet’s recent work is one of the first theoretical research on why firms rely on green instruments for financing.

High-end professionals from different institutions

Our closing panel is composed of high-end professionals from different institutions that have complementary perspectives on ESG: a policymaker/regulator (Banque de France), a professional from advisory firm, an asset manager/investor specialized in ESG, and a specialist in ESG rating. The panel discussion was an excellent opportunity for a constructive dialogue on the issues and challenges in ESG. “

Sami ATTAOUI, Head of NEOMA Finance department

“The impact of climate change on our economy and financial stability is significant. Therefore, it becomes crucial to promote how Finance can contribute to mitigating the climate risk and to designing investment and financing solutions that help firms transition to green businesses. Hence, this first edition of the Conference on Sustainable Finance echoes NEOMA’s active role in this field through cutting-edge research and teaching while reaching out to other stakeholders such as policymakers and corporations. “

Sara AIN TOMMAR, Coordinator of NEOMA “Finance for Good” sub-area of Excellence and co-organiser of the conference

“The Conference was one of the highlighted occasions in the subarea to experience a vibrant discussion forum. Practitioners, researchers, policymakers, company and fund managers, entrepreneurs… all gathered to share their work and views on the challenges of implementing and evaluating ESG metrics, as well as the proposed solutions. One of the key issues is the scope and definition of ESG, which vary across geographies and industries, and which challenge a proper evaluation of the real impact of ESG measures and the future of sustainability. This remains one of the main aspects to address.”