Green and Islamic Finance Between Ethics and Image: Toward a Genuine Sustainability Governance

In recent years, both green finance and Islamic finance have gained increasing attention as ethical alternatives to conventional finance, aiming to align financial practices with sustainability and social justice. However, as global interest in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices grows, so does the risk of greenwashing and Islamic-washing, situations in which institutions adopt sustainability or Shariah labels for image purposes without implementing meaningful practices or achieving real impact. This raises key concerns about transparency, accountability, and the credibility of ethical finance initiatives, all of which must be critically addressed. Green and Islamic Finance Between Ethics and Image: Toward a Genuine Sustainability Governance explores the growing tension between ethics and image in green and Islamic finance. While both systems claim to pursue genuine value-based objectives, they often fall short in practice due to market pressures, regulatory gaps, and governance failures. This book proposes a critical reassessment of existing practices and advocates for a deeper integration of authentic ethical principles, particularly through the lens of Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah (objectives of Islamic law), into sustainability governance models. Covering topics such as university ambidexterity, environmental stewardship, and ethical claims legitimacy, this book is a fundamental academic resource for graduate and doctoral students, finance professionals, policymakers, sustainability practitioners, and more.