Private Infrastructure Finance and Investment in Europe

This study discusses the structure and development of private infrastructure finance in Europe in a global context. It examines the contribution of private capital to the financing of infrastructure investment needs. A 'big picture' is created by putting the various financing instruments and investment vehicles into a simple frame, i.e. percentages of GDP. There is scope for the development of alternative financing arrangements (such as public-private partnerships) and investment vehicles (such as project bonds and suitable investment funds). However, the traditional ways of corporate (and public) capital expenditure as well bank lending, need to keep working in Europe. Institutional investors can play a bigger role as a source of finance but expectations should be realistic. There are a number of barriers in place, regulatory and otherwise, that need to be worked on

What kind of financial literacy do employee representatives need?

About the book: This collection examines the implications for various stakeholders of the new EU Directive on Information and Consultation. As well as containing new and classic readings, it also contains contributions from leading academic, employment, trade union, and legal experts, analyzing the value-added potential to be derived by the effective implemention of information and consultation procedures

SRI’s normative and ethics-based rationale

Socially responsible investment (SRI) has a long lineage. Faith-based investors practised it for centuries to ensure they did not invest in “sin.” In recent decades other types of investors have embraced it, challenging apartheid, tobacco, and fossil fuel industries. The SRI sector has grown dramatically, and with this growth its rationales have changed. While some investors embrace SRI as a matter of ethical compulsion, many act for other reasons including their financial self-interest. Some may even no longer speak of SRI or “ethical investment,” but instead refer to “environmental, social and governance” (ESG) issues as “financially material” (Ransome and Sampford 2011). This article evaluates the principal rationales for SRI, namely legal compliance, to avoid complicity in undesirable activities, to use leverage to enable positive change, and to accrue financial advantages