Energy Markets: At the Crossroads of Financial Stability, Systemic Crises and ESG Risk

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have been a catalyst for the repricing of a range of macroeconomic, financial and systemic risks across a variety of sectors. One of the key markets caught in the crosshair of the pandemic-induced supply chain, investment and production disruptions is the broadly defined energy market, which encompasses energy commodities, energy generation and distribution companies, and covers both fossil fuels and renewables. Due to its depth and breadth, the energy market spans a range of asset classes, including equities, commodities, corporate and specialist bonds, private equity and venture capital, to name just a few. Due to the scale and importance of energy markets in supporting real economic activities, these markets are linked to a broad range of risks and uncertainties, including, among others:

1. Macroeconomic risk and uncertainty spanning economic growth factors, as well as fiscal and monetary policies;
2. Geopolitical risk and uncertainty, including domestic and global risk factors;
3. Environmental risk and uncertainty, spanning all aspects of the environmental risks;
4. Social risk and uncertainty;
5. Demographic risks;
6. A wide range of financial risks.

This Special Issue of the Journal of Risk and Financial Management (ABDC list: B) invites submissions related to changes in the financial market aspects of energy supply, demand and prices in light of systemic risks to the markets poised by climate change, longer-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the evolving nature of financial markets. We also invite submissions related to the impacts of risks, uncertainties and complexities of energy markets, commodities and financial instruments on financial markets and firms. The key topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

The impact of changes in energy market structures and energy commodity pricing on international financial markets;

The impact of changes in energy supply and/or demand on bond markets, commodity markets and currency markets, both in advanced economies and in emerging and frontier markets;

The responses of trading firms, investors, investment management and other financial intermediaries to changes in energy markets since the Global Financial Crisis and during the COVID-19 pandemic;

The impact of changes in the energy markets on firms' capital structure, dividend payouts, share repurchases, risk management, cash holdings, etc.

Prof. Dr. Joseph J. French
Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Risk and Financial Management is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• financial markets
• energy
• oil
• natural gas
• uncertainty
• complexity
• risk
• infectious diseases
• pandemics
• COVID-19
• Global Financial Crisis
• stock markets
• economic shocks
• risk and uncertainty
• financial risk management
• policy responses to COVID-19
• investment
• portfolio management
• recession
• corporate finance
• social changes
• international trade
• sustainability
• environment
• ESG
• banking
• investors