Zacharias Sautner

Zacharias Sautner is Professor of Sustainable Finance at the University of Zurich and Senior Chair at the Swiss Finance Institute. He is a leading scholar in sustainable finance, ESG, climate finance, and biodiversity finance, contributing significantly to both academic and policy discussions. He co-heads the Initiative in Sustainable Finance at the University of Zurich, a globally recognized research cluster.

Research Interests:

• Sustainable Finance
• ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)
• Climate Finance and Risk
• Biodiversity Finance
• Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)
• Financial Markets and Institutional Investors

His research explores how financial systems can support long-term sustainability, with a focus on risk measurement, pricing, and policy implications. He investigates ESG ratings, climate exposure, and the role of investors in driving sustainable transitions.

His publications, featured in top journals like the Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, and Journal of Financial Economics, reveal strong trends in climate risk disclosure, ESG integration, and the financial valuation of sustainability. Many of his works analyze real-world impacts, such as central bank policy references and regulatory frameworks.

Scientific Awards and Recognition:

• Ranked #1 in Germany in Business Administration (2018–2022)
• Ranked #23 globally among business authors by SSRN downloads (2023)
• Two papers in top 5 of Financial Times' sustainability research ranking (2023)
• Associate Editor at Review of Financial Studies, Management Science, and Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis
• Regular Research Visitor at the European Central Bank
• Director of the European Finance Association
• Judging panel member for the PRI Awards

Zacharias advises asset management firms on sustainable finance and has served on policy-relevant panels. His research has been cited over 10,000 times and downloaded more than 120,000 times on SSRN. He has been a visiting professor at institutions including the University of Hong Kong, UC San Diego, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

He co-leads the Initiative in Sustainable Finance at the University of Zurich, fostering interdisciplinary research and collaboration between academia, industry, and regulators.