Green New Deal and Sustainable Finance in Europe

The article emphasizes the need for the financial system to be aligned with the necessary transition towards a more sustainable economic model. While sustainability has different dimensions (including social and governance), we concentrate our efforts on climate change, as it has attracted the need for urgent actions by financial markets and institutions, on ground of financial stability. We devote a special attention to the launching and development of Green Bonds, by far the most relevant exponent of private companies and financial markets adaptation to climate change concerns. To complement the role played by private agents, the article the develops on the leading role played by the European institutions, first through the launching of the Green New Deal, and more recently with the Green recovery initiatives in response to the COVID-19.