Professional Documents
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Research article
Received 31 May 2023; Accepted 06 July 2023
How to cite: Indrasuci, AW. & Rokhim, R. (2023). Exploring The Effects of Environmental, Social and
Governance (ESG) on Banking Performance: A Case Study of Far East Asia. Indonesian Journal of
Economics and Management, 3(3), 522-534.
*Corresponding author: adhigunawjy@gmail.com
Abstract: Extensive research has focused on the connection between ESG and banking performance.
However, a literature gap exists in the study of the influence of ESG disclosures on the banking and
financial services sector, particularly in Far East Asia and ASEAN countries compared to Europe and
North America. This study addresses this gap by employing data panel regression to investigate how
environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors affect bank performance in these regions. We
analyze the correlation between ESG performance and various measures of bank performance: return
on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), Tobin's Q, and Stock Return. Our findings reveal that stronger
ESG performance in banks tends to have a negative impact on financial, operational and market
performance. This research contributes to the existing literature on the relationship between ESG factors
and banking performance and offers valuable insights for policymakers, investors, and banking
practitioners in Far East Asia.
Keywords: ESG performance; bank performance; stock return.
1. Introduction
In today’s world, delivering financial reports alone is no longer sufficient to satisfy
shareholders. Companies are now urged to focus on issues beyond profitability, such as
corporate governance, social responsibility, and the global environment. The implementation
of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) reporting in Asia is still lagging behind the US and
Europe, which poses a significant challenge for companies operating in the region (Chang et
al., 2021). As a result, there is a need for a second report that can provide information on a
company’s sustainability and ESG performance. This report will enable companies to
demonstrate how their operations impact and help to address environmental, social, and
corporate governance challenges. The Willis Towers Watson study found that only 31% of
organizations in Asia have ESG policies, and just 11% of investor money is invested in
sustainable assets or goods. Despite this, sustainable inflows of money and corporate ESG
disclosures have increased rapidly, indicating that the implementation of ESG reporting in
Asia is slowly gaining momentum.
As key players in the financial system, banks have played a crucial role in protecting the
environment, not only within their operations but also by supporting their business partners
and clients (Ghosh, 2018). In the view of Gangi et al., (2019), banks can develop and apply an
2. Literature Review
2.1. ESG toward Bank Performance
Various previous studies have widely discussed the importance of ESG disclosure.
Stakeholder theory suggests that incorporating ESG can be a competitive advantage and
requires a long-term strategy that aligns the interests of management with those of
stakeholders, such as employees, consumers, and local governments. Buallay, (2019) notes
that while the relationship between ESG and a company's financial performance has been
thoroughly examined, there is still a lack of research that specifically focuses on the impact of
ESG disclosure on companies in the banking and financial services sectors.
Several studies have investigated the relationship between ESG and company
performance in the banking sector, but the findings are conflicting. For instance, Alareeni &
Hamdan, (2020), who researched 500 companies listed in the S&P, found that ESG has a
positive impact on company performance. However, other studies, such as Buallay et al.,
(2020) study on 882 banking sector companies in developed and developing countries, indicate
that ESG may have a negative influence on banking performance in developing countries.
3. Research Methods
3.1. Data Collection
We collected data on ESG (environmental, social, and governance) factors and banking
performance for a sample of banks operating in Far East Asia. Data on ESG factors were
obtained from Refinitiv ESG. Refinitiv ESG evaluates the ESG performance of companies
based on a set of industry-specific indicators, including environmental impact, labor practices,
and board diversity. Banking performance data were obtained from the Annual report
statements of the selected banks & Refinitiv Database.
Model 2a:
𝑅𝑂𝐸𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐸𝑆𝐺1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 2b:
𝑅𝑂𝐸𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐸𝑁𝑉1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 2c:
𝑅𝑂𝐸𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝑆𝑂𝐶1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 2d:
𝑅𝑂𝐸𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐺𝑂𝑉1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 3:
Model 3 uses Tobin’s Q (TQ) as the dependent variable. Model 3 is separated into Model 3a,
Model 3b, Model 3c, and Model 3d where each model is represented by the independent
variable ESG and each pillar.
Model 3a:
𝑇𝑄𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐸𝑆𝐺1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 3b:
𝑇𝑄𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐸𝑁𝑉1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 3c:
𝑇𝑄𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝑆𝑂𝐶1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 3d:
𝑇𝑄𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐺𝑂𝑉1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 4:
Model 4 uses Stock Return (SR) as the dependent variable. Model 4 is separated into Model
4a, Model 4b, Model 4c, and Model 4d where each model is represented by the independent
variable ESG and each pillar.
Model 4a:
𝑆𝑅𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐸𝑆𝐺1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 4b:
𝑆𝑅𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐸𝑆𝐺1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 4c:
𝑆𝑅𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐸𝑆𝐺1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Model 4d:
𝑆𝑅𝑖𝑡 = 𝛽0 + 𝛽1 𝐸𝑆𝐺1𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽2 𝑁𝐼𝑀2𝑖𝑡 + 𝛽3 𝑆𝐼𝑍𝐸3𝑖𝑡+ + 𝛽4 𝐺𝐷𝑃4𝑖𝑡 + 𝜀𝑖𝑡
Based on Table 1, it shows that the Environmental, Social, Governance score (ESG)
variable has an average value of 54.58. The standard deviation value of ESG shows 19.38 which
shows ESG has a wide spread of data. The minimum value of ESG is 7.34 owned by Chiba
Bank Ltd. located in Japan in 2019. At the maximum value of ESG which shows 88.60 owned
by E.SUN Financial Holding Co Ltd. located in China in 2021.
Environmental pillar score (ENV) has an average value of 48.28. The standard deviation
value of ENV is 24.60 which shows that ENV has a wide distribution of data. The minimum
value of ENV is 0.15 owned by 77 Bank Ltd banking located in Japan in 2017 where the bank
has just implemented ESG disclosure for the first time. The maximum value of ENV shows a
value of 95.19 owned by DBS Group Holdings Ltd banks located in Singapore in 2021.
Social pillar score (SOC) has an average value of 54.94. The standard deviation value of
SOC is 23.67 which shows SOC has a wide distribution of data. The minimum SOC value is
2.05 which is owned by Kyushu Financial Group Inc in 2017. The maximum value of SOC
shows a value of 97.04 obtained by E.SUN Financial Holding Co Ltd in 2021.
Governance pillar score (GOV) has an average value of 55.64. The standard deviation
value of GOV is 21.28 which indicates that GOV has a wide distribution of data. The minimum
GOV value is 9.90 which is owned by Chiba Bank Ltd located in Japan in 2017. The maximum
value of GOV shows a value of 95.58 obtained by Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.
located in Japan in 2021.
The ROA variable has an average value of 0.78%. The standard deviation value of ROA
is 0.004 which shows ROA has a wide spread of data. The minimum ROA value is 0.04% owned
by the Shengjing Bank Co Ltd company based in China in 2021. The maximum value of ROA
shows a value of 3.13% obtained by PT Bank Central Asia Tbk located in Indonesia in 2018.
Then the ROE variable has an average value of 8.80%. The standard deviation value of
ROE is 0.035 which shows ROE has a wide spread of data. The minimum ROE value is 1.44%
owned by Bank of Kyoto Ltd based in Japan in 2021. The maximum value of ROE shows a
value of 18.54% obtained by the TISCO Financial Group PCL company based in Thailand in
2019.
The TQ variable has an average value of 1.01. The standard deviation value of TQ is 0.12
which shows that TQ has a wide distribution of data. The minimum value of TQ is 0.89
obtained by the Malaysia Building Society Bhd company based in Malaysia in 2021. The
maximum value of TQ shows a value of 2.09 owned by Public Bank Bhd in Malaysia in 2018.
Furthermore, the SR variable has an average value of -0.39%. The standard deviation
value of SR is 0.12 which shows that SR has a wide distribution of data. The minimum value
of SR is -0.77 obtained by PT Danamon Indonesia Tbk company based in Indonesia in 2019.
The maximum value of SR shows a value of 5.04% obtained by Bank of Chengdu Co Ltd
located in China in 2018.
Model 1a 1b 1c 1d
-7.50E-06
ENV - - -
(0.2586)
-1.20E-05
SOC - - -
(0.3526)
-2.77E-05
GOV - - -
(0.0043)
Adjusted
0.880807 0.879892 0.879762 0.914859
(R-squared)
Prob
0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
(F-statistic)
Table 2 presents the regression results of Model 1 separated into four models namely
Model 1a, Model 1b, Model 1c, and Model 1d, which provides insight into the relationship and
impact of ESG and its three pillars on banking performance as measured by firm operations,
as measured by ROA. The table also lists the control variables used in the analysis to provide
a more complete picture of the influence of these factors on firm performance.
In Model 1a, the independent variable ESG has a negative coefficient of -3.19E-05 which
indicates a negative effect on ROA, and the p-value is 0.0412 which is less than 0.05 indicating
a significant effect. This finding is in line with Buallay et al., (2021) where the role of ESG has
a negative impact on the performance of banking companies as seen from Return on assets
(ROA).
In model 1b, the independent variable ENV has a negative coefficient of -7.50E-06 which
indicates a negative effect on ROA, but the p-value shows 0.2586 which is greater than 0.05
which indicates an insignificant effect on ROA. The same thing in model 1c, the independent
variable SOC has a negative coefficient of -1.20E-05 which indicates a negative effect on ROA,
and the p-value shows 0.3526 which is greater than 0.05 which indicates an insignificant effect
on ROA.
While in Model 1d, the independent variable GOV has a negative coefficient of -2.77E-
05 which indicates a negative effect on ROA, and the p-value shows 0.0043 which is smaller
than 0.05 which shows a significant effect which agrees with Peni & Vähämaa, (2012) research
showing that banks with a high governance role can reduce company performance.
Table 3 presents the regression results of Model 2 separated into four models, namely
Model 2a, Model 2b, Model 2c, and Model 2d, providing an understanding of the relationship
and impact of ESG and its three pillars on banking performance as measured by the company's
financial ROE. The table also lists the control variables used in the analysis to provide a more
complete picture of the influence of these factors on firm performance.
In Model 2a, the independent variable ESG has a negative coefficient of -0.000299 which
indicates a negative effect on ROE, and the p-value is 0.0321 which is less than 0.05, indicating
a significant effect. This finding is in line with Buallay et al., (2021) where the role of ESG has
an unfavorable impact on the performance of banking companies as seen from Return on
assets (ROE).
In model 2b, the independent variable ENV has a negative coefficient of -7.80E-05 which
indicates a negative effect on ROE, but the p-value shows 0.0321 which is greater than 0.05
which indicates an insignificant effect on ROE. The same thing in model 2c, the independent
variable SOC has a negative coefficient of -0.000125 which indicates a negative effect on ROE,
and the p-value shows 0.2769 which is greater than 0.05 which indicates an insignificant effect
on ROE.
Meanwhile, in Model 2d, the independent variable GOV also has a negative coefficient
of -2.77E-05 which indicates a negative effect on ROE, but the p-value shows 0.0787 which is
greater than 0.05 which indicates a non-significant effect.
Table 4 presents the regression results of Model 3 separated into four models namely
Model 3a, Model 3b, Model 3c, and Model 3d, which provides an overview of the relationship
and impact of ESG and its three pillars on banking performance as measured by the firm's
market performance, as measured by TQ. The table also lists the control variables used in the
analysis to provide a more complete picture of the influence of these factors on firm
performance.
In Model 3a, the independent variable ESG has a negative coefficient of -0.001229 which
indicates a negative effect on TQ, and the p-value shows 0.0062 which is smaller than 0.05
which indicates a significant effect which agrees with the research of Buallay et al., (2021)
where the role of ESG has a negative influence on banking market performance. The effect of
TQ on the sector in the banking sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the
financial crisis worldwide in 2020 to 2021. Peni & Vähämaa, (2012) explain that the financial
crisis can adversely affect company performance, thus impacting the market performance of a
bank. As an intermediary institution, banks have an impact due to the large number of
business loan defaults, decreased lending, and decreased economic growth.
In model 3b, the independent variable SOC has a positive coefficient of 0.000126 which
indicates a positive effect on TQ, but the p-value shows 0.5105 which is greater than 0.05 which
indicates an insignificant effect on TQ. Whereas in model 3c, the independent variable SOC
has a negative coefficient of -0.000558 which indicates a negative effect on TQ, but the p-value
shows 0.1318 which is greater than 0.05 which indicates an insignificant effect on TQ.
Then in Model 3d, the independent variable GOV has a negative coefficient of -0.000719
which indicates a negative effect on TQ, and the p-value shows 0.0101 which is smaller than
0.05 which shows a significant effect which agrees with the research of Peni & Vähämaa, (2012)
showing that banks with a high governance role can reduce company performance so that it
has an impact on the company's market performance.
Table 5 presents the regression results of Model 4 separated into four models namely
Model 4a, Model 4b, Model 4c, and Model 4d, which provides an explanation of the
relationship and impact of ESG and its three pillars on banking performance as measured by
the firm's market performance, as measured by SR. The table also lists the control variables
used in the analysis to provide a more complete picture of the influence of these factors on
firm performance.
In Model 4a, the independent variable ESG has a positive coefficient of 7.54E-05 which
indicates a positive influence on SR, and the p-value is 0.6381 which is greater than 0.05
indicating an insignificant influence.
In model 4b, the independent variable ENV has a positive coefficient of 0.000260 which
indicates a positive influence on SR, with a p-value of 0.0001 which is lower than 0.05 which
indicates a significant influence on SR. This finding is in line with the research results of
Aydoğmuş et al., (2022) where the environmental performance of banking companies has a
significant effect on stock value. Based on Signal Theory, when bank companies actively
demonstrate a strong dedication to the environment through sustainable practices, banks
effectively communicate their alignment with environmental issues to investors. This strategic
signal can instill greater confidence among investors, indicating that bank firms have
promising business prospects and higher potential long-term returns.
While in model 4c, the independent variable SOC has a negative coefficient of -0.000558
which indicates a negative effect on SR, and the p-value shows 0.1318 which is greater than
0.05 which indicates an insignificant effect on SR. The same thing happens.
In Model 4d, the independent variable GOV has a negative coefficient of -0.000719 which
indicates a negative effect on SR, and the p-value shows 0.0101 which is smaller than 0.05
which shows a significant effect which agrees with the research of Peni & Vähämaa, (2012)
showing that banks with a high governance role can reduce company performance so that it
has an impact on the company's market performance.
5. Conclusion
This study provides results that reveal the impact of ESG sustainability disclosures on the
performance of banking companies in solid empirical evidence. By taking sample data from
banks listed on the Far East Asia Stock Exchange, this study successfully answers the main
question by drawing the following conclusions:
a. The role of ESG has a significant negative influence on banking performance ROA, ROE,
and TQ. This finding is in line with the results conducted by Buallay et al., (2021) which
explains that banking companies that have a commitment to considering sustainability
factors such as ESG tend to experience a decline in company performance and harm the
value of the company's shares in the short term. Banking performance is also strongly
influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a worldwide financial crisis
in 2020 to 2021. Peni & Vähämaa, (2012) explain that the financial crisis can adversely
affect company performance and thus have an impact on the market performance of a
bank. As an intermediary institution, banks have an impact due to the large number of
business loan defaults, decreased lending, and decreased economic growth. Therefore, the
results of the study support H1 where there is an influence even though the impact shown
is negative.
b. The role of ENV has a significant influence on banking performance as seen from the
company's market has a positive seen from TQ and SR. This is supported according to a
study conducted by Aydoğmuş et al., (2022), the environmental performance of banking
companies has a significant value. Based on Signal Theory, when bank companies actively
demonstrate a strong dedication to the environment through sustainable practices, they
effectively communicate their alignment with environmental issues to investors and
consumers. These strategic signals can instill greater confidence among investors,
indicating that bank companies have promising business prospects and higher potential
long-term returns. Based on the above conclusions, the research results support H2 where
there is an influence of ENV on bank performance on the market performance side.
c. The presence of SOC also has a negative influence on bank performance in terms of ROA,
ROE, TQ, and SR. However, the results of this study show no significance on all
dependent variables that have been determined. Therefore, the results of the study do not
support H3 where there is no significance on company performance.
d. The role of GOV also has a significant but negative impact on banking performance in
terms of TQ. findings agree with the research of Peni & Vähämaa, (2012) indicating that a
company's market performance still has a negative impact during a financial crisis even
though the company has a high governance role. This research takes a period when the
world is facing the COVID-19 pandemic which affects company performance in various
sectors. the research results support H4 where there is an influence of GOV on bank
performance in terms of market performance.
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