The key features of FESSUD

• The Financialisation, Economy, Society and Sustainable Development (FESSUD) project explores the nature of the relationship between financialisation (the processes of the growth of the importance of financial systems, finance and financial motives) and the sustainability of the financial system, economic and social development and the environment.

• The nature of national and international financial systems and their evolution in the past three decades are analysed and assessed. The causes and consequences of the global and national financial crises starting in 2007 are thoroughly investigated. Lessons for policy are to be drawn from the financial crisis about the nature and impacts of financialisation.

• Central issues addressed are the ways in which the growth and performance of economies in the last 30 years have been dependent on the characteristics of the processes of financialisation and how financialisation has impacted on the achievement of economic, social, and environmental objectives. A major feature of FESSUD is its scope of enquiry into the range of economic, social and political consequences from financialisation.

• The research programme of FESSUD integrates diverse levels, methods and disciplinary traditions with the aim of developing a comprehensive policy agenda for changing the role of the financial system to help achieve a future which is sustainable in environmental, social and economic terms.

• FESSUD develops policy agendas on the regulation of the financial sector and on macroeconomic policies which would lead to finance better serving economic, social and environmental needs.