SUSTAINABLE FINANCE FOR RETURNS & IMPACT

Mobilizing capital to achieve investment returns while making the world a better place sounds like a good idea ― but is this possible? And if so, why aren’t more companies and investors already doing it? Unlike existing works that focus narrowly on single stakeholder groups, Sustainable Investing For Profit and Impact by Dr. Matthew Dearth and James Cheo offers a well-rounded examination of the entire ecosystem from companies and investors to governments. Designed like a "liberal arts course in finance," the book emphasizes the critical thinking required to make sense of challenges to capital allocation, making it accessible to both newcomers and experienced professionals. Interspersed throughout the text are findings from academic research as well as interviews with leading practitioners from major financial institutions, exchanges, and international organizations.

The book includes sections on environmental, social, and governance challenges; corporate measurement and disclosure practices; government regulation and carbon pricing mechanisms; popular sustainable investing strategies including impact investing; and practical portfolio construction guidance for individual and professional investors. Examples are drawn from markets around the world, including a uniquely Asian point of view absent from other books on the topic.

Combining academic foundations with real-world applications, Sustainable Investing For Profit and Impact provides readers with the holistic perspective necessary to navigate the rapidly evolving sustainable finance landscape. It serves as an essential resource for students, professionals, and policymakers seeking to understand how sustainability considerations are reshaping modern corporate behavior, investment practice, and regulation.

DR. MATTHEW DEARTH is Associate Professor of Finance (Practice) at Nanyang Business School and Co-Director of the Centre for Sustainable Finance Innovation.
Before transitioning to academia full time, Dr. Dearth was Managing Director at Silvercrest Asset Management (Singapore) and head of the Singapore office. His 30+ years of finance industry experience also includes leadership roles at Marshall Wace, Goldman Sachs, and Booz Allen & Hamilton.
Since 2023 Dr. Dearth has been a full-time faculty member at NBS where he teaches undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive courses in sustainable finance and impact investing. Dr. Dearth is a co-author of "Getting Started in Alternative Investments" (Wiley, 2023) and has published multiple case studies on investment management topics.
Dr. Dearth holds a PhD (General Management) from Singapore Management University, an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Operations Research from Princeton University.

JAMES CHEO is the Chief Investment Officer of a global bank and a leading voice on macroeconomics, investing, and portfolio strategy.
With more than two decades of experience, Mr. Cheo has advised institutional investors, private clients, and family offices across Asia on asset allocation and sustainable finance. His research and thought leadership focus on structural economic shifts, long-term capital flows, and the integration of ESG principles in multi-asset portfolios.
He has been recognized among the Top 20 Most Influential LinkedIn Voices in Singapore and the Top 30 Global Voices in Financial Markets, with his posts reaching over 11 million views annually.
He currently serves on the Council of the Economic Society of Singapore and is a faculty member at the Wealth Management Institute of Singapore, where he teaches courses on wealth strategy and sustainable investing.
Mr. Cheo graduated with First Class Honours in Finance from Nanyang Technological University and was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst in 2007. He also holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst and Financial Risk Manager designations.