Central Banking, Sustainable Finance - MONETA

Unit directors: Donato Masciandaro and Laura Zanetti

MONETA - epithet of Giunione, goodness and guardian/protector of Roman Mint - is a research unit focused on central banking  -  i.e. monetary and financial policies - and its activity is intertwined with the initiatives of the Chair in Economics of Financial Regulation, established in 2005. The Chair in Economics of Financial Regulation anticipated well in advance what has been worldwide evident after the 2008 Great Crisis: the need of deep reflections on the state of  the relationships between monetary policy, financial supervision (micro and macro prudential) and regulation.

The research unit Central Banking, Sustainable Finance - MONETA focuses on the role of gender, as well as the influence of psychological and behavioural biases, in shaping the central bank decisions. Moreover, the research unit explores the role of communication in designing and implementing both monetary and financial policies, including its relationships with financial literacy and education.

On top of that, the research activity is devoted to exploring how the regulatory and supervisory design and implementation can address the issue of the financial integrity, i.e. how to prevent and combat the threat of money laundering and terrorism finance at national and international level. 

In parallel, the unit explores sustainable finance as a fundamental policy goal, especially in a post-Coronavirus scenario. The unit is committed to disseminating the culture of sustainability and promoting a responsible approach to investments, with particular reference to environmental, social and governance (Esg) topics.