Ticking boxes or taking action? Rethinking the role of research(ers) in sustainable finance

Susan Cooper; Torben Trapp; Michelle van Weeren; Katharina Dittrich

doi:10.1177/00076503261428438

Ticking boxes or taking action? Rethinking the role of research(ers) in sustainable finance

Susan Cooper^*
, Torben Trapp
, Michelle van Weeren
, Katharina Dittrich

^*Corresponding author for this work

Business School

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate

Abstract

Current sustainable finance research risks overemphasizing incremental rather than transformational solutions to pressing socioecological crises due to buying into the dominant narrative on sustainable finance. We outline ways to research sustainable finance reflexively and responsibly.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1049-1055
Number of pages	7
Journal	Business & Society
Volume	65
Issue number	5
Early online date	27 Feb 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/00076503261428438
Publication status	Published - May 2026

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

de-politicization
financialized capitalism
grand challenges
researcher responsibility
sustainable finance

Access to Document

10.1177/00076503261428438Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC)

CooperEtalBS2026TickingBoxesOrTakingActionFinal published version, 230 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC)

Cite this

@article{6142a147e48245e1a99c3f5c79cdcf93,

title = "Ticking boxes or taking action? Rethinking the role of research(ers) in sustainable finance",

abstract = "Current sustainable finance research risks overemphasizing incremental rather than transformational solutions to pressing socioecological crises due to buying into the dominant narrative on sustainable finance. We outline ways to research sustainable finance reflexively and responsibly.",

keywords = "de-politicization, financialized capitalism, grand challenges, researcher responsibility, sustainable finance",

author = "Susan Cooper and Torben Trapp and \{van Weeren\}, Michelle and Katharina Dittrich",

year = "2026",

month = may,

doi = "10.1177/00076503261428438",

language = "English",

volume = "65",

pages = "1049--1055",

journal = "Business \& Society",

issn = "0007-6503",

publisher = "SAGE Publications",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ticking boxes or taking action? Rethinking the role of research(ers) in sustainable finance

AU - Cooper, Susan

AU - Trapp, Torben

AU - van Weeren, Michelle

AU - Dittrich, Katharina

PY - 2026/5

Y1 - 2026/5

N2 - Current sustainable finance research risks overemphasizing incremental rather than transformational solutions to pressing socioecological crises due to buying into the dominant narrative on sustainable finance. We outline ways to research sustainable finance reflexively and responsibly.

AB - Current sustainable finance research risks overemphasizing incremental rather than transformational solutions to pressing socioecological crises due to buying into the dominant narrative on sustainable finance. We outline ways to research sustainable finance reflexively and responsibly.

KW - de-politicization

KW - financialized capitalism

KW - grand challenges

KW - researcher responsibility

KW - sustainable finance

U2 - 10.1177/00076503261428438

DO - 10.1177/00076503261428438

M3 - Comment/debate

SN - 0007-6503

VL - 65

SP - 1049

EP - 1055

JO - Business & Society

JF - Business & Society

IS - 5

ER -

Ticking boxes or taking action? Rethinking the role of research(ers) in sustainable finance

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this