Eco-offers of banks and investment funds. Poland & international trends, 189 s.

THE SUBJECT AND AIM OF THIS PUBLICATION The subject of this publication is an offer of commercial financial institutions of the financial market related to the financing of the protection of natural environment, particularły to pro-ecological economic undertakings. This offer concems the financing or the gaining of financial resources for the financing of the above-mentioned aim. It seems that having such a financial offer at the disposal of a financial institution is evidence ofa special engagement in environmental protection, thus, the morę precious of an attempt that it is to use the financial market. So, this means an ability to use the basie feature of a financial institution, that is, the ability to perform financial operations in order to finance the natural environment. Especially, an offer of commercial financial institutions of the financial market was anałysed. These institutions arę later called financial institutions. In this paper attention is focused on two kinds of financial institutions, namely, banks and investment fund companies. Firstły, these arę the institutions of an unquestioned strong position on the international financial market. It can be supposed that the processes, which take place in them will influence other financial institutions. Secondly, it is in the case of banks and investment companies that most examples of offers containing environmental aspects can be shown. In rum, a pro-ecological economic undertaking is perceived in this publication as an undertaking which contributes in a special way to natural environmental protection. This may be an economic undertaking in which products of environment protection technologies are manufactured, or an economic undertaking in which the management process is performed with a particular respect of environmental protection. Obviously, there are divided opinions on what a pro-ecological undertaking is. These discrepancies are frequently very serious. In this publication these disputes will not be analysed in spite of the importance of this issue. They should be addressed in other specialist elaborations. Not only a fair description of the present reality is an important task of this research work but also a prognosis of developmental trends in selected processes. This publication is also subject to this idea. This paper aims at drawing the attention of scientific, political, economic and financial circles to examples and offers of banks and investment fund companies which operate on the international financial market and take environmental protection into consideration. It can be hoped that this will serve to popularise the solutions as well as open a debate on the use of the institution of the financial market for the financing of natural environment protection. The aim of this publication is also to present the Polish experience and achievements in the financing of environmental protection by using commercial financial institutions. Not only western solutions are adapted in Poland, but a series of domestic, unique, and tested solutions can be indicated. Poland is one of the more important emerging markets. This country's forthcoming accession to the European Union will make the Polish market even more attractive and worthwhile