The rise of green finance is an important new trend in global finance. What are the implications? Does green finance contribute to a socio-ecological transformation that will end the highly unequal overuse of global environmental resources? The special issue deals with these questions and analyses the effects of this new trend against the background of global core-periphery relationships. The authors present innovative theoretical conceptualisations, analyse selected cases and provide new important insights. Whilst predominant neoliberal forms of green finance tend to deepen global inequalities and do not deal effectively with global environmental problems, the authors present insights that are highly relevant for alternative progressive strategies and policies in the field.