Sustainable finance?
A doctoral thesis presented at Sapienza University, Rome, seeks to shed light on a persistently complex area between business, sustainability and finance
A business dedicated to sustainability, along with a finance sector just as devoted to it, creates a vital mix that enhances our whole production culture. Tiziana Nupieri recently presented her doctoral thesis at Sapienza University, tackling this topic. Her study seeks to uncover
“the foundations of sustainable finance in Italy through a values-led and cognitive lens, looking at the key players who define what sustainability means in this context.”
Nupieri’s field study thus has a clear objective: to contend that “sustainable finance, contrary to the prevailing narrative in public and political discourse, serves as an effective instrument to perpetuate (…) several core tenets of the neoliberal paradigm, while also facilitating the initiation of strategies in line with a progressive financialisation of sustainability.”
The thesis initially sets the stage by outlining the theory and practice of sustainable finance, both globally and within the Italian context. It then explores the key players in the field, incorporating a series of interviews with them.
Nupieri’s thorough investigation reveals the intricate interplay between the goals of economic sustainability and those of the financial sector. Despite, or perhaps because of, various ambiguities in its definition, Nupieri suggests that sustainable finance can be understood as an initiative to integrate sustainability into financial strategies. Furthermore, the study illustrates that the financialisation of sustainability is propelled by stakeholders who, by merging their relational and specialised cognitive resources, manage to shape the concept of ‘sustainable finance’. They do this through discursive strategies that establish causality, where sustainability often plays a secondary role to the expansion of financial principles and mechanisms.” In other words, there is an intersection where profit-driven finance meets the distinct objectives of sustainability, which, while not without its challenges, also presents certain opportunities that need to be cultivated and developed.
Tiziana Nupieri’s research is challenging to engage with, yet it offers valuable insights for grasping a highly topical and complex subject.
Tiziana Nupieri
PhD thesis in Applied Social Sciences, Sapienza University, 2024
A doctoral thesis presented at Sapienza University, Rome, seeks to shed light on a persistently complex area between business, sustainability and finance
A business dedicated to sustainability, along with a finance sector just as devoted to it, creates a vital mix that enhances our whole production culture. Tiziana Nupieri recently presented her doctoral thesis at Sapienza University, tackling this topic. Her study seeks to uncover
“the foundations of sustainable finance in Italy through a values-led and cognitive lens, looking at the key players who define what sustainability means in this context.”
Nupieri’s field study thus has a clear objective: to contend that “sustainable finance, contrary to the prevailing narrative in public and political discourse, serves as an effective instrument to perpetuate (…) several core tenets of the neoliberal paradigm, while also facilitating the initiation of strategies in line with a progressive financialisation of sustainability.”
The thesis initially sets the stage by outlining the theory and practice of sustainable finance, both globally and within the Italian context. It then explores the key players in the field, incorporating a series of interviews with them.
Nupieri’s thorough investigation reveals the intricate interplay between the goals of economic sustainability and those of the financial sector. Despite, or perhaps because of, various ambiguities in its definition, Nupieri suggests that sustainable finance can be understood as an initiative to integrate sustainability into financial strategies. Furthermore, the study illustrates that the financialisation of sustainability is propelled by stakeholders who, by merging their relational and specialised cognitive resources, manage to shape the concept of ‘sustainable finance’. They do this through discursive strategies that establish causality, where sustainability often plays a secondary role to the expansion of financial principles and mechanisms.” In other words, there is an intersection where profit-driven finance meets the distinct objectives of sustainability, which, while not without its challenges, also presents certain opportunities that need to be cultivated and developed.
Tiziana Nupieri’s research is challenging to engage with, yet it offers valuable insights for grasping a highly topical and complex subject.
Tiziana Nupieri
PhD thesis in Applied Social Sciences, Sapienza University, 2024