Управленец (Dec 2018)
Green banking as a progressive model of socially responsible business
Abstract
The article studies eco-oriented (green) banking and analyses dominant vectors of its development. The methodological basis includes conceptual approaches of Russian and foreign scientists in the field of environmental banking. The authors use the method of system analysis, methods of generalization and graphical interpretation of data. We show that green banking is a socially responsible model of banking aimed at reducing the anthropogenic load on ecosystem and creation of “the benefits of the future”. The paper considers conceptual directions of socially responsible banking and approaches to the definition of green banking. This allows formulating the author’s thesis that the implementation of eco-responsible principles in the banking sector provides for the “triple benefit”: improving economic efficiency, reducing harmful effects on ecosystem and improving social image of banks. We systematize the internal and external aspects of the environmental positioning of banks, which determine the green opportunities of the banking sector. The paper presents an overview of eco-oriented banking gradients, the most important of which are green lending, green banking products and charity projects. Unlike regulators in other countries, the Bank of Russia has not yet introduced regulatory procedures of environmentally responsible banking. The activation of international environmental initiatives in the banking sector confirms that green banking is becoming an important business area in many countries, acquiring the features of megatrend of the 21st century. The identified gap between the green practice of Russian and international banks allows concluding that in the context of global trends the Russian banking sector needs to be transformed.
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