Pasquale Marcello Falcone is Associate Professor of Economic Policy at the Department of Business and Economics - University of Naples "Parthenope" (Italy) where he holds courses, both at Master's degree and PhD level, on Environmental Economics and Policy. He obtained a PhD in Economics at the University of Foggia (Italy) and an MSc in Economics at the University of Leicester (UK). His works focus on the mechanisms through which sustainability transitions can be intertwined with socio-economic policy and financial aspects and are regularly published in esteemed journals. He has been included in the Top 100,000 Scientists worldwide across all knowledge areas (PLOS Biology), and topics of reference are "Energy, Economics and Environment".

Edgardo Sica is Associate Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, Management and Territory - DEMeT, University of Foggia (Italy) where he teaches Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. He obtained a Master's in Economics and Finance - MEF at the University of Naples "Federico II" (Italy), an MA in Development Economics at the University of Sussex (UK), a PhD in Economics and Technologies for the Sustainable Development at the University of Foggia, and a PhD in Technology and Innovation Management at the Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex (UK). He is author of numerous publications in the field of energy transitions, with a focus on the role of sustainable finance for eco-innovative enterprises.

Part I: Perspectives and policy instruments 1. Policy perspectives in promoting green finance Peterson K. Ozili 2. Green bonds for the innovation - The entrepreneurial State and the sustainable transition Fabio Giudice and Piergiuseppe Morone 3. The role of sustainable finance during the global health crisis: transformative innovation policies for the environmental and social sustainability Pasquale Marcello Falcone and Edgardo Sica 4. How is the EU financial system getting ready to take up the climate challenge? Lucia Alessi and Serena Fatica 5. No time to lie: sustainable finance needs nextgen assurance Simone Quatrini and Robert Costanza 6. The EU regulatory landscape on sustainable finance Lucia Alessi, Georgios Papadopoulos Part II: Case studies 7. ESG investing during the Covid-19 crisis. Evidence from Central European Stock Exchanges Agnieszka Wäachowska 8. The Impact of Green Finance on Renewable Energy Consumption in the Covid-19 Pandemic Henefa Shvydanenko, Oleg Shvydanenko, Ganna Duginets, Kateryna Boichenko and Tatiana Busarieva 9. The Policy perspectives on greening of the financial system: Implications for Ukraine Oksana Makarchuk 10. Sustainability and the circular economy: The role of the financial sector and the response of Intesa SanPaolo Antonia Patrizia Iannuzzi, Stefania Sylos Labini and Elisabetta D'Apolito 11. Expanding Pathways for Green Finance to Support Regenerative Agriculture in Latin America Sarah Gammage, Julian Rode and Felipe Lesmes 12. Social dimension of green finance: COVID19 shines spotlight on companies' vulnerable employment in supply chains Claudia Hitaj, Ioana Stefania Popescu, Thomas Schaubroeck and Thomas Gibon

The speed with which the various economies recover from the Covid-19 pandemic will significantly determine the economic pressure placed on the environment in the medium-to-long-term. Furthermore, the pandemic has highlighted the strong interrelations between natural and societal systems, with societal resilience depending on a resilient environmental support system. In this context, the book argues that the pandemic represents a wake-up call for financial systems to be better prepared for the climate crisis and social risk, and has provided a stimulus to scale down the reliance of the global economy on fossil fuels. The first part of the book provides a deep and creative discussion between leading international researchers and experts on the policy options and financial instruments which can help to catalyze the green finance transition in the post-Covid-19 era. The contributions show that sustainable finance is emerging as a powerful tool to advance the transition towards a more environmentally and socially sustainable economic model. Instruments such as sovereign green bonds, green securities, and other sustainability-related securities can play a significant role in the post-Covid-19 world to fund economic stimulus and to lead the way to new and more sustainable future. The second part of the book supports the debate by highlighting a number of selected case studies on financing transitions in different regional contexts including Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The book marks a significant contribution to the literature on environmental economics and finance, climate change, and sustainability transitions.