The article provides an overview of the most important current EU initiatives contributing to sustainable finance. After an introduction on how the concept of sustainability entered the domain of European policy, the definition of sustainable finance from the EU perspective is discussed, as well...

The paper first outlines the challenges the global energy system is facing. It then summarises the present knowledge of energy efficient solutions in all energy using sectors from primary energy to useful energy and, more importantly, from useful energy to energy services (material efficiency...