This book investigates sustainability, CSR, climate change adaptation, the relevance of ESG scores and their impact on firm value and growth. The first part of the book analyses the topics from a conceptual angle. The authors discuss how the concepts of self-consciousness and awareness drive the shift of the traditional concept of corporate mission towards more sustainable business models. The authors propose an in-depth analysis of the main challenges posed by climate change and of the initial policy-makers' responses and provide their view on the central role of ESG scores and circular economy for growth and development. The authors conclude with an analysis of the main literature on the measurement of the relation between ESG scores and firms' performance and cost of equity (CoE). The second part of the book contains comparative empirical evidence, supporting these theories across specific industries, and will be of interest to academics, researchers, and students of sustainability and impact finance.