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The integration of sustainability into the theory and practice of finance: an overview of the state of the art and outline of future developments

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive view of the current state of the literature in sustainable issues in financial research. Progress in these areas has generally been slow, and the concept of sustainable finance has not yet fully settled in the academic literature. We introduce corporate social responsibility as the underlying framework for sustainable finance and review key strands from the diverse literature on sustainability in finance. We suggest how this research field might advance in the future and propose a number of open questions that require further analysis.

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Wolfgang Breuer and two anonymous referees for their useful comments and suggestions. Lora Heffele provided excellent research assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Finance, RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 64, 52056, Aachen, Germany

    Astrid Juliane Salzmann

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  1. Astrid Juliane Salzmann
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Correspondence to Astrid Juliane Salzmann.

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Salzmann, A.J. The integration of sustainability into the theory and practice of finance: an overview of the state of the art and outline of future developments. J Bus Econ 83, 555–576 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-013-0667-3

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