How Does Green Finance Affect Net-Zero Targets, Sustainable Production, and Consumption: Principles, Risks, and Strategies

A special issue of Risks (ISSN 2227-9091).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2025) | Viewed by 906

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School of Engineering Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Interests: project finance; financial risk management; public–private partnership; circular economy; climate change and sustainability
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is no road to a net-zero economy, sustainable production, and consumption without green finance.  Time is running out to meet these targets together with resolving the climate crisis, as the global temperature is rising by nearly 1.5 °C, instigated by the continuous rise in carbon emissions. Against this concerning backdrop, the transition to net-zero global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 would require a huge amount of sustainable investment in physical assets and technologies to take climate action to manage the risk associated with carbon emissions in light of the United Nation’s Sustainable Goal 13. In the near term, significant green investment in clean power would be required to run a green economy, electric vehicles, and decarbonize infrastructures. With the increasing global population likely to hit 9.8 billion by 2050, we must also change our production and consumption patterns in view of the UN’s SDG 12 to protect natural resources and sustain the livelihoods of current and future generations. Considerable green and sustainable finance is currently lacking to be invested in production technologies and eco-friendly products, especially in emerging and developing countries. Considering these risks, as well as the compelling opportunities, this Special Issue addresses the necessity for financial institutions and key stakeholders, such as researchers and policymakers, to set a clear and forward-looking business strategy for sustainable finance, as well as their role in the transition to net zero, responsible consumption, and production.

Dr. Isaac Akomea-Frimpong
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • green finance
  • climate action
  • net zero
  • sustainable production and consumption
  • risk management
  • green economy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 2243 KB  
Article
Study on the Nonlinear Volatility Correlation Characteristics Between China’s Carbon and Energy Markets
by Tian Zhang and Shaohui Zou
Risks 2025, 13(10), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/risks13100205 - 17 Oct 2025
Abstract
The energy sector, as a major source of carbon emissions, has a significant impact on the operation of the carbon market and the management of carbon emissions. With the introduction of the “dual carbon” goals, the Chinese government has actively implemented measures to [...] Read more.
The energy sector, as a major source of carbon emissions, has a significant impact on the operation of the carbon market and the management of carbon emissions. With the introduction of the “dual carbon” goals, the Chinese government has actively implemented measures to reduce carbon emissions, making the carbon market an important tool for emission reduction. Therefore, characterizing the inter-market relationships helps enhance decision-making for market participants and promotes sustainable economic development. This study selects the price of the Chinese carbon emission trading market, which began trading on 16 July 2021, as a representative of the carbon market price. In terms of energy market selection, the prices of electricity, new energy, and coal are chosen as representatives of the energy market. From the perspective of the nonlinear dependency structure between market prices, a “carbon ↔ electricity ↔ new energy ↔ coal market” multi-to-multi interaction model is constructed, and the MSVAR model is employed to study the nonlinear dependency characteristics between market prices under interactive influences. The results show that there is a significant nonlinear dependency structure between the four market prices, especially between the carbon market and the new energy market. These market prices exhibit different behavioral characteristics under different states, with non-stationary states being the most common. There is a strong positive correlation between the electricity market and new energy market prices, while the relationship between the carbon market and other market prices is relatively weaker. The relevant conclusions provide valuable insights for policymakers and investors, helping them better understand and predict future market dynamics. Full article
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