ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that finance can be seen as an example of a system that cuts across the different provision systems that are usually at the center of studies on sustainability transitions and sustainable consumption. It describes how finance can be characterized as a cross-cutting distribution system, an approach that draws on a typology inspired by the field of ecological economics. The chapter begins by discussing the problems inherent in the current financial system and the proposals thus far advanced for alternatives capable of supporting a sustainability transition. It applies a systems outlook in the sense that the point of departure is systemic aspects of finance and the interplay between finance and macroeconomic development. Simultaneously, it is acknowledged that financial systems are constituted by both professional and everyday practices that continuously reproduce and modify their functioning, including the relevant institutions and material arrangements.
