Sustainable Banking: The Commercial and Legal Impacts of Private Self-Regulatory Initiatives

This article identifies the two dimensions of sustainable banking, naming the financial and environmental aspects. Due to extensive coverageof the former dimension in the context of the current global financial crisi, this article focuses on the latter aspect in the context of the Equator Principles. The discussion revisits the rationale for the emergence of these priinciples as a global private initiative to address the concerns of environmental degradation. It also touches on its commercial impacts and wider legal implications.