In recent years, worsening environmental problems worldwide have created a need to re-evaluate the functioning of economic and financial systems. Because of global warming, the climate crisis, and the disruption of ecological balance, business and service processes in financial markets are increasingly focusing on environmentally sensitive long-term goals rather than short-term objectives. In this context, environmentally friendly financial products and services have become key enablers of environmental sustainability and transformation.

The chapters in this book present original academic studies that employ diverse methodologies, data sets, and theoretical frameworks. Through empirical analyses, conceptual discussions, and policy evaluations, the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the finance-environment relationship is demonstrated. This diversity ensures that the work contributes to the academic literature and serves as a practical reference for practitioners and decision-makers.

The first chapter of this six-chapter book is titled " Evaluation of Green Hospital and Green Finance Practices from a Sustainability Perspective”. This study evaluates developments in green finance and green hospital practices in Turkey, examines the relationship between sustainable healthcare and green finance through a literature review, and provides suggestions for improvement.

The second chapter of the book, titled "Sustainability Reporting: Conceptual Framework, Technical Structure and Relationship to Firm Performance," thoroughly covers the main concepts of sustainability reporting, its technical development stages, content structure, and connection to business performance.

The third chapter of the book, titled " A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends on the Impact of Corporate ESG Scores on Financial Performance," examines the development, structure, and research trends in the academic literature on the relationship between companies' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and their financial performance using bibliometric analysis.

The fourth chapter of the book, titled "Environmental Finance, Insurance and Risk Redistribution," examines environmental finance in the context of the structural risk transformation caused by climate change in the financial system.

The fifth chapter of the book, titled " The Impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance on Cost of Capital: A Study on Developed and Emerging Markets” examines how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance affects the cost of capital for publicly traded firms in 36 countries across developed and developing markets.

The sixth chapter of the book, titled "The Rise of the Carbon Economy: The Impacts of Financialization on the Real Estate Sector," examines the integration of carbon markets with financial instruments, explores their relationship with the real estate sector, and offers recommendations for Turkey.

All the works included in this book, for which the chapter authors assume full scientific, legal, and ethical responsibility, have undergone an editorial review process. This book, which contains both empirical and theoretical studies, aims to contribute to the literature through all its chapters. I would like to express my gratitude to the chapter authors for their valuable efforts. I also extend my thanks to Assist. Prof., Dr. Kürşad Özkaynar, for his patience and dedication in bringing this book to you, our valued readers.

I dedicate this work to my family, who have been instrumental in my education; my esteemed professors; and my husband, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tolga ERGÜN, and my beloved daughter, Elif Ece. I hope it will be beneficial to all professors, students, and interested researchers.

December, 2025

Asist. Prof. Dr. Hilal OK ERGÜN