Sandra Phlippen appointed professor by special appointment of Sustainable Banking

The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB)  is pleased to announce that, as per 1 January 2023, Dr Sandra Phlippen has been appointed professor by special appointment of Sustainable Banking. Phlippen will combine the professorship with her position as chief economist at ABN AMRO. The chair is sponsored by the Dutch Banking Association (NVB) and is established at the C.R. Rao Foundation.

Sustainable Banking

The aim of the new chair is to gather and enable independent academic knowledge in the field of sustainable banking. This includes research into the impact of climate scenarios on the financial sector and the economy or into decarbonisation options for firms and households.

Sandra Phlippen: “I am honoured to be appointed professor by special appointment of Sustainable Banking. Banks have an important role in supporting their clients in the energy transition. My aim is to contribute insights about climate (policy) impact on banks by conducting academic research. I also hope to find out which evidence-based interventions by banks are most effective in helping clients to decarbonize.”

In this position, Phlippen will also play a role in setting up, innovating and implementing education in the field of sustainable development.

Asset to the faculty

According to the dean of FEB, Professor Peter Verhoef, the chair fits well within two of the five key points of the strategic plan of the faculty: Future Prosperity & Sustainability and Energy Transition & Climate Change. “Sandra Phlippen has in recent years been increasingly engaged with the economic and financial consequences of climate change. In the public debate, she has become a thought leader on climate economic issues. Her research topic in combination with her position in the banking sector makes her a valuable addition to our faculty that is traditionally strongly linked to banking.”

Driving sustainable finance

Medy van der Laan, president of the NVB is pleased with the appointment: “We are very pleased with this chair at the University of Groningen and the appointment of Sandra Phlippen. We know her as an excellent economist and a driving force on the theme of sustainable finance, an important priority for us. Scientific research into this is essential, among other things to get a clear picture of what the biggest challenges are and which steps to take accordingly. That is why we make the chair financially possible, while of course guaranteeing scientific independence."