Green, Alternative or Business as Usual? Critical Geographies of Sustainable Finance

Abstract

In recent years, a growing number of contributions on green finance have emerged, not only within economic geography but also increasingly from disciplines beyond it. With this Special Issue, we aim to engage with the ongoing debate around green and sustainable finance and its challenges, including concerns over greenwashing. Our extended editorial provides structure to this complex discussion by identifying four primary strands of literature that frame the field. Two of these strands adopt a more critical stance, combining analytical approaches and rigorous assessments that question the impact and ‘authenticity’ of green and sustainable finance schemes, approaches and policies. Most of the contributions and empirical case studies featured here align with these critical perspectives, which are introduced in greater depth in the second part of this editorial.