About

About the P3S Academy

The P3S Academy at the University of Oxford is a global centre of learning and capacity building focused on how the public and third sectors, whether central or local government, regulators, supervisory authorities, multilateral institutions, campaigning NGOs, journalists, charities, and philanthropy, can grasp the opportunities associated with sustainable finance.

It arms these groups with the knowledge, networks, and skills required to shift the direction of tens of trillions of dollars of capital away from unsustainable activities to those aligned with the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Academy works globally, prioritising where possible public and third sector organisations in developing and emerging economies. We are building a full spectrum of capacity building activities in relation to sustainable finance.

Who is it for?

The P3S Academy supports civil servants, regulators, and central bankers working to develop policies that can foster the development of sustainable finance; staff at NGOs who would like to help the global financial system create better sustainability outcomes; and philanthropic funders looking to navigate sustainable finance topics so as to support the most impactful activities.

It is open to working with individuals, teams, functions, and entire organisations across these groups, and prioritises support for public and third sector organisations in developing and emerging economies.

Why the P3S Academy?

There is significant and growing interest from policymakers, the wider public sector, and civil society in aligning finance with sustainability and mobilising capital efficiently for the net zero carbon transition and other sustainable development outcomes.

Achieving this rapidly is necessary for tackling climate change and related sustainability challenges facing humanity. It is also necessary for financial institutions and the financial system to manage both discrete and systematic risks, particularly those related to climate change.

New opportunities for public policymakers and civil society are arising simultaneously in multiple areas related to finance and investment, for example on active ownership, the carbon bubble, climate finance, conservation finance, disclosure, divestment, engagement, energy efficiency, ESG, export credit, green banks, green bonds, green benchmarks and indices, impact investing, payments for ecosystem services, public finance, public private partnerships, renewable energy, reporting, responsible investment, stranded assets, and green taxonomies.

In order to maximise impact in these and related areas the public and third sectors urgently need to develop broader and more in-depth capabilities in finance generally and sustainable finance in particular.

University of Oxford

Born out from the Oxford Sustainable Finance Group, the P3S Academy is part of the University of Oxford, and draws upon the networks, research and teaching as well as significant expertise on sustainable finance that the University has to offer.

The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and has been ranked first in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for six years in a row. Across our departments, schools, centres, and research groups the University of Oxford has world leading researchers and research capabilities relevant to understanding the challenges and opportunities of sustainable finance.

The Oxford Sustainable Finance Group is the focal point for these activities and is situated in the University of Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. The Oxford Sustainable Finance Group is a multidisciplinary research centre and is arguably the world’s best place for research and teaching on sustainable finance. We were established in 2012 to align the theory and practice of finance and investment with sustainability.

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OxSFG was established in 2012 and is a multidisciplinary research centre working to be the world’s best place for research and teaching on sustainable finance and investment. We work globally across asset classes, finance professions, and with different parts of the financial system.