National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is a private, nonprofit, non-partisan research organisation founded in 1920 that supports and disseminates rigorous economic analysis to academics, policymakers and professionals.

NBER does not itself propose policy. Instead it hosts more than 20 research programmes and numerous working groups spanning topics such as corporate finance, macroeconomic fluctuations, labour markets, health economics, environment and energy, public economics, innovation and trade.
Its affiliate scholars—around 1,800 economists—produce working papers, conference volumes, books, and periodic publications (e.g. NBER Reporter, NBER Digest) to communicate empirical findings.

In terms of structure, NBER operates through centrally coordinated programmes and more flexible working groups and maintains research centres or project hubs (for instance in Alzheimer’s disease economics).
It also provides data infrastructure, an Institutional Review Board for human-subjects research, and computational support for grant-driven projects.

On sustainable finance and climate, NBER engages through its “Climate Finance” project (2025–2027) that examines how markets and investors respond to climate risks and direct capital toward mitigation.
Its existing research includes studies on sustainable investing, green bonds, climate risk pricing, and blended finance to mobilise private capital for environmental goals.
For example, it analyses how investor preferences tilt portfolios toward “green” assets, and how certification of green bonds helps reduce greenwashing risk.

For users, NBER offers a large repository of working papers (over 1,200 annually) with many becoming freely accessible after an embargo.
It also provides access to datasets, conference agendas, video lectures of academic presentations, and thematic periodicals summarising research.
These resources make NBER a key reference for those seeking empirical economic insights, including on topics relevant to sustainable finance.