The Insight Investment – University of Oxford Prize for Greening Finance was established in 2023 to recognise research and service that helps society better understand how environmental change influences finance and investment, and how economic and financial systems can contribute to achieving global environmental sustainability. An endowment has been established to support the Prize in perpetuity through a generous donation from Insight Investment.

The winner of the outstanding research category in 2024 was Rob Bauer, Professor of Finance (Chair of Institutional Investors) at Maastricht University and holder of the Elverding Chair on Sustainable Business, Culture and Corporate Regulation.

Professor Bauer’s work on the financial performance of socially responsible investment strategies has been instrumental in challenging misconceptions and providing empirical evidence on the relationship between sustainability and financial returns. As the Director of the European Centre for Sustainable Finance at Maastricht University, he has fostered collaboration between academia and industry, translating research insights into practical applications for sustainable investing. Professor Bauer’s commitment to rigorous empirical methods and his ability to bridge theory and practice have made him a leading voice in shaping the future of sustainable finance research and education.

Professor Bauer will be giving his public lecture as part of the prize, entitled ‘What Investors Really Want: Beliefs, Preferences, and the Practice of Sustainable Investing’, on 19th June 2025, from 1630 at the H B Allen Centre, Keble College, Oxford, followed by a drinks reception. If you would like to apply to attend, please register here. Please also feel free to share details of the lecture and reception with colleagues and people in your network.

More information about the prize, eligibility and nomination criteria as well as the nomination process can be found here.