BSc Minor Financing Sustainable Transitions

Profile

Finance has a steering role in the transition towards more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems. Three main components of sustainable finance come together in this minor:

public and private financial instruments
environmental and social impacts of financial instruments
Climate, biodiversity and social sustainability related risks for the financial sector.

Ad (1) Recent decades have witnessed the emergence of a range of new public and private financial instruments that aim to support the transition towards sustainable and resilient agri-food systems. Public financial instruments often take the form of sustainability linked bonds and mutual funds with a sustainability target which are traded in financial markets. Private instruments take the form for example of impact loans by banks and sustainability linked loans from private investors and stakeholders in supply chains. This course offers a deeper understanding of the public and financial instruments and the functioning of the financial system, including financial markets.

Ad (2) The new financial instruments aim at supporting sustainable transitions, but the assessment of their sustainability impacts is often complex and requires the involvement from scientists with a sound training in natural sciences and financial systems. This course will provide students the skills to conduct an assessment of the social and environmental sustainability impacts of sustainable financial instruments.

Ad (3) Climate and biodiversity are threatened by economic and human related activities. However, climate change and biodiversity degradation may also pose a substantial risk for the financial system. This is because these environmental sustainability components may harm the production

potential of agriculture and as such also the value of investments financed by the financial sector. In addition, investments in social and environmental sustainability reducing economic activities may harm the reputation of banks. Eventually, climate change, loss of biodiversity and loss of reputation may threaten the stability the financial system. The courses in this minor provide the students the tools and skills to understand the social and environmental sustainability related risks for the financial sector.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this programme students are expected to be able to:

Describe and assess the main social and environmental problems in food systems from a technical, economic and financial perspective
Describe the main public and private financial instruments for addressing social and environmental problems in food systems
Assess the value of financial assets such as real estate, agricultural production facilities, sustainable technology and knowledge, goodwill, stocks, bonds and loans
Describe the financial system and its main functions
Describe the main regulations on the use of sustainable financial instruments
Describe and assess the social and environmental impacts of financial instruments
Describe and assess the main sustainability related risks for the financial system

Target Group

Students from Management and Consumer Studies (BBC), Economics and Governance (BEB), International Development Studies (BIN), Environmental Sciences (BES), Forest and Nature Conservation (BBN), Animal Sciences (BAS), Plant Sciences (BPW) and International Land and Water management (BIL). In addition, the course could be of interest to students from natural and agricultural sciences, and agribusiness programs from universities of applied sciences such as Aeres Hogeschool, Avans Hogeschool, Fontys Hogeschool and Hogeschool InHolland.

Language

English

Semester

First semester (period 1, 2 and 3)

Programme or thematic

Thematic minor