Week 1: Green Finance Fundamentals#

Learning Goals#

  1. Understand the theoretical foundations of sustainable finance and its role in addressing climate change
  2. Quantify market developments through analysis of green bond growth, regional distribution, and issuer composition
  3. Apply analytical frameworks to evaluate green finance instruments and investment opportunities

Topics Covered#

  • Definition and scope of green finance
  • Historical development and market growth
  • Key instruments: green bonds, sustainability-linked bonds, transition bonds
  • Regulatory landscape overview
  • Investment gap analysis

Key Statistics#

  • Global green bond market: $2.9 trillion (2024)
  • CAGR 2015-2024: 28.1%
  • Regional distribution: Europe 45%, APAC 25%, Americas 25%

Materials#

Charts#

The week includes 17 data visualizations covering:

  • Market growth trends
  • Regional distribution
  • Issuer composition
  • Investment gap analysis
  • Risk-return profiles

(c) Joerg Osterrieder 2025

Co-funded by the European Union - Erasmus+ Programme

Erasmus+ Programme | Capacity Building in Higher Education
Project 101237817 - GREEN FINANCE
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.