Editorial: The contribution of sustainable investments to sustainable development

Financial markets play a pivotal role in our economy in that the allocation of resources through these markets determines, to a significant degree, the development of our society. The way we invest today has an effect on the way society will function and produce in the future. Even a small shift in the behaviour of the actors on the financial markets can have significant consequences on other sectors of society, ranging from company operations at the microlevel, to the trends and developments in the international economy at the macrolevel. Recent trends including globalisation, outsourcing, short-term financial gains and so forth have led some to question the ethics and sustainability of existing business models and practices.