Green investment, green finance, climate risk exposure and sustainability decisions of the firms

Introduction

In the face of global challenges driven by human activities and natural phenomena, companies must adopt and make rational decisions to ensure 1) their financial survival, 2) mitigate adverse societal consequences, and also 3) explore the impact of green finance policy on corporations’ exposure to climate risks to drive corporate green transformation. This project aims a) to evaluate the effectiveness of corporate decision-making processes and b) to address challenges related to green investment, green finance and climate risks.

Project details

The candidates are expected to submit a personal statement/research proposal based on the project details below:

• Importance of preparing for global changes caused by human activities and natural phenomena.
• Need for companies to make feasible and rational decisions to:
• a) Survive financially
• b) Mitigate adverse societal consequences of gradual changes or shocks
• c) Explore the impact of green finance policy on corporate exposure to climate risks to drive corporate green transformation.

Key Areas of Focus

• Green Investment: Allocating resources to sustainable and eco-friendly projects, and promoting long-term environmental and economic benefits
• Green Finance: Accessing funding mechanisms designed for sustainable initiatives, and collaborating with financial institutions to support eco-friendly ventures
• Climate Risk Exposure: Identifying risks posed by climate change (e.g., the issues related to net zero and carbon footprint) to operational and financial stability, and developing strategies to manage and mitigate these risks
• Sustainability Decisions: Implementing practices that balance current operational needs with long-term environmental goals, and optimising the use of resources to safeguard future generations

IESG and Corporate Responsibilities

Companies in developing, developed, and frontier economies must:

• Optimise financial, financing, and operational decisions,
• Work collaboratively with: money markets and capital markets, industry, market-oriented environmentally concerned governments and regulators, and other relevant stakeholders
• Focus on maintaining or improving the quality of life for future generations by enhancing ESG performance, especially on climate-related risks and sustainability decisions

Research Opportunities

Data Collection (one or both)

• Utilising primary data (e.g., surveys, interviews) for a deeper and more specific understanding
• Leveraging secondary data (e.g., large and international datasets) for panel regression or other robust statistic models

Research Methods (some of):

• Qualitative methods to understand corporate decision-making frameworks
• Quantitative methods to measure and quantify the effectiveness of corporate finance and investment decisions
• Artificial Intelligence methods (e.g., deep learning and machine learning) to enhance research by enabling data-driven analysis of complex relationships, predicting policy impacts, modelling climate risks, and assessing public and investor perceptions for informed decision-making

Research Objectives

• Evaluate the effectiveness of corporate decision-making processes
• Address challenges related to green investment, green finance, and climate risks.

Conclusion

• Emphasising the need for corporate cooperation and alignment with global sustainability goals
• Highlighting the role of future research in enhancing corporate strategies and decision-making in the context of sustainability and climate resilience especially in countries with higher sustainability and climate risks.

Funding

Tuition fees and bursary

Benefits

The successful candidate will receive comprehensive research training including technical, personal and professional skills. All researchers at Coventry University (from PhD to Professor) are part of the Doctoral Researcher College, which provides support with high-quality training and career development activities.

Entry requirements

• A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average.

PLUS

• The potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within 3.5 years.
• A minimum of English language proficiency (IELTS academic overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component).

Additional requirements

Applicants should apply for and meet the entry requirements of both Coventry University and ITB.

How to apply

All applications require full supporting documentation, a covering letter, plus a 2,000 word supporting statement showing how the applicant’s expertise and interests are relevant to the project.

Please contact for informal enquiries: ad5249@coventry.ac.uk