9th Annual Sustainable and Impact Investments International Conference (SIIIC 2026)

The 9th Annual Sustainable and Impact Investments International Conference (SIIIC 2026) took place in Hamburg on January 22nd and 23rd, bringing together academics, policymakers, and practitioners for two days of in-depth exchange on the latest developments in sustainable finance and impact investing.

The conference opened with warm welcomes by Prof. Dr. Timo Busch (University of Hamburg), Dr. Lucia Alessi (European Commission, Joint Research Centre), and Prof. Dr. Mario La Torre (Sapienza University of Rome), followed by a special welcome address from Dr. Verena Hebbecker of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. Speakers emphasised the central importance of sustainable financial markets in driving economic, environmental and social transformation. This theme was further developed in the keynote addresses: Prof. Dr. Robert Bauer, in his keynote “Investor Democracy- Beliefs, Preferences, and the Practice of Sustainable Investing” addressed the role of investors and co-determination in sustainable financial markets, while Prof. Dr. Andreas Hoepner demonstrated, based on current research, how corporate climate transition strategies can be systematically distinguished from business-as-usual approaches.

Verena Hebbecker during her welcome speech

These perspectives were explored in greater depth through panel discussions designed to promote dialogue between academics, professional experts, and policymakers. A panel on impact in banking and finance, moderated by Dr. Brigitte Bernard-Rau, brought together representatives from sustainable, ethical, value-based and conventional banks with a sustainable finance arm (Banca Etica, Bethmann Bank-ABN AMRO, and GLS) and a research institute (AIR-Advanced Impact Research) to discuss key challenges related to defining, measuring, and managing impact. Another high-level panel (ESMA – European Securities and Markets Authority, European Commission – DG FISMA and JRC- Joint Research Center, Eurosif), moderated by Prof. Dr. Timo Busch, addressed political and regulatory perspectives on sustainable and impact investing, discussing current developments and future directions at the EU level.

A central component of the SIIIC conference was the extensive programme of parallel academic paper sessions. Contributions covered a wide range of topics, including climate finance, biodiversity and nature finance, sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs), transition and transformative finance, as well as ESG and impact measurement and reporting, portfolio management, greenwashing, AI-supported analysis approaches, and the social dimensions of sustainable finance. The sessions provided space for in-depth discussions, constructive feedback, and close exchange between established scholars and early-career researchers.

The programme was rounded off by the conference dinner with a political keynote speech from Katharina Beck, Member of the German Bundestag, and the presentation of the Best Paper Award 2026. The first prize was awarded to Dr. Marwin Mönkemeyer for his work on Institutional Ownership and Biodiversity Incidents. See additional winners below. 

Katharina Beck and Timo Busch at the gala dinner

The 9th SIIIC Conference highlighted the value of close collaboration between research, practice, and policy for advancing sustainable financial markets.

The 10th SIIIC Conference will take place in January 2027 in Madrid, Spain.

We would like to thank our sponsors:

Deutsche Investment

HASPA

Oikocredit

Signal Iduna

BEST PAPER AWARDS 2026

Best PhD Paper Award (granted by VfU):

Gender Differences in Sustainable Investment Preferences: The Role of Disclosure and Product Category Labeling

Authors: Marc-Philipp Bohnet, Fabian Gerstmeier, Achim Hagen, and Cosima van Mierlo

Best Paper Awards (granted by Grant Thornton)

 1st Prize:

Engagement or Selection? Institutional Ownership and Biodiversity Incidents

Author: Marwin Mönkemeyer

2nd Prize:

The Vanishing Greenium: Machine Learning Evidence on Pricing in the Primary Market for Corporate Bonds and ESG Correlations

Authors: Àlvar Cuevas i Fajardo, Jorge Pérez-Martín, Inmaculada Pra-Martos, Raquel Arguedas-Sanz

3rd Prize:

Sustainability Disclosure on Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Evidence from Oil and Gas Producers

Authors: Fabiola Schneider, Andreas Hoepner, Agus Harjoto