https://people.climate.columbia.edu/users/profile/zoey-yiyuan-zhou
Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor of Climate at Columbia Climate School, Columbia University.
My work bridges finance, climate science, and biodiversity, with a focus on how financial systems—particularly corporate finance and banking—can accelerate nature-positive, climate-resilient, and equitable outcomes. I aim to align financial architecture with global sustainability objectives.
I serve on the Consultation Group of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and on the committee for the Connectivity of Asian Voluntary Carbon Markets, contributing to frameworks that integrate environmental risks and opportunities into financial decision-making.
I hold a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Hong Kong and a master's degree in Earth and Environmental Engineering from Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). Drawing from this interdisciplinary foundation, my research reorients financial analysis to better serve sustainability and inclusive development worldwide.
Recent and Upcoming Conferences:
European Finance Association (EFA), Paris
Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment (GRASFI), Paris
American Finance Association (AFA), Philadelphia
Download: Curriculum Vitae
Publication
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (2025)
With Bo Huang, Jiacui Li, Tse-Chun Lin, Mingzhu Tai
Loan officer attention allocation under time constraints hinders financial inclusion.
Journal of Corporate Finance (2022)
With Hongqi Yuan and Joe Hong Zou
Explore state-owned bank's response to governmental countercyclical financing through internal credit rating allocation.
Working Papers
With Tse-Chun Lin and Joe Hong Zou
Reveal unintended spillovers along the supply chain, which disproportionately impede air quality equity for underprivileged local communities.
Featured in HK Environmental Protection Department policy documents
The Curse of Green Shareholder Oversight: Evidence from Emission Spillover of Divested Plants
Single-authored
Uncover how the pressure by climate-conscious shareholders can propagate greenhouse gases to asset owners under less oversight.
Awarded Semi-finalist of Best Paper Award in Corporate Finance at 2023 Financial Management Association (FMA) Annual Meeting
Strategic Carbon Offsetting
With Omrane Guedhami and Sadok EI Ghoul
Invited to International Seminar on Connectivity of Asian Voluntary Carbon Markets, Greater Bay Area Climate Forum, International Workshop on Regional Air Quality Management
Biodiversity Co-Benefits in Carbon Markets? Evidence from Voluntary Offset Projects
With Douglas Almond
Awarded PARC Best Data and Metrics in Sustainable Finance Research Prize at the 2025 Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment (GRASFI) conference [Link]
Presented at the Review of Finance Special Issue on Biodiversity and Natural Resource Finance Workshop, Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)
R&R at Review of Finance
Other Publications
Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Energy:
P. Gao, Zoey Yiyuan Zhou, F. Meng, Y. Zhang, Z. Liu, W. Zhang and G. Xue. Preparation and characterization of hydrochar from waste eucalyptus bark by hydrothermal carbonization. Energy, 97 (2016): 238-245
Zoey Yiyuan Zhou, F. Meng, Z. Liu, G. Xue and P. Gao, Hydrothermal carbonization of waste eucalyptus bark. Materials Reports, 1(2015): 344-347.
Environmental Health and Engineering:
K. Wang, K. Li, Zoey Yiyuan Zhou, F. Meng, Z. Liu, G. Xue and P. Gao. Adsorption characteristics of typical PPCPs onto river sediments and its influencing factors. Environmental Science, 36.3(2015): 847-854.
Patent:
Lead Inventor: A Method to Prepare Hydrochars Utilizing Municipal Effluent Biological Sludge
Patent Granted: 2016
Teaching
ESG 101 - HKUST Undergrad SUST 1101 - 2025 (Course Creator and Lecturer)
Governing Green Finance - HKUST Undergrad ENVR 4000P / Master ENVR 6090E - 2024, 2025
Green Business Strategy - HKUST Undergrad ENVR 3310 - 2024
Environmental Economics - HKU Master MECON 6063 - 2024 (Guest Lecturer)
Green Finance and ESG - HKU Master MFIN 7052 - 2022 (Course Developer and Co-teach), 2024 (Guest Lecturer)
Recent Grants
Investigator of General Research Fund (GRF) - US$105,415 - Ongoing
Co-Principal Investigator - Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research Thematic Research Programme - Ongoing
Co-Principal Investigator - HKU Jockey Club Research Grant - US$22,500 - Ongoing
Co-Principal Investigator - RGC Theme-based Research Scheme - US$6,190,000 - Ongoing
Principal Investigator of General Research Fund Early Career Scheme (GRF- ECS) - US$67,665 - 2025
Investigator - Green and Sustainable Fintech PoC Funding Support Scheme - US$19,300 - 2025
Co-Principal Investigator - Columbia University's ISERP Seed Research Grant - US$40,000 - 2025
Principal Investigator - HKUST Equipment Fund - US$14,200 - 2025
Skills
Geographic Information System (GIS)
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Machine Learning (ML)