The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on ESG and banking performance. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using data extracted from the Scopus databases, covering the period from 2016 to July 2025. Based on a search within the fields of “article title, abstract, keywords”, a total of 179 documents were selected for further analysis. BiblioMagika was employed to generate citation metrics, OpenRefine was used to clean and standardise the dataset, and VOSviewer was applied for data visualisation. These findings are presented through bibliometric indicators, particularly subject areas, publication trends, source titles, leading contributors and author keyword co-occurrence analysis. As a result, most articles were published in the field of economics, econometrics, and finance. In addition, there was a significant spike in total citations in 2019, reaching 1238 citations, whereas the highest number of publications was recorded in 2024, with a total of 64. Furthermore, Finance Research Letters has contributed the most articles to ESG and banking performance research. Moreover, Amina Mohammed Buallay stands out as the most productive and influential author in this field. Brunel University London leads in institutional contributions, while Italy emerges as the top contributing country for ESG and banking performance studies. Lastly, the author keyword of “ESG” emerged as the most frequently used term in the field of ESG and banking performance studies. Therefore, the analysis of existing literature offers valuable insights for both scholars and policymakers, establishing a solid foundation for future research in this field.
Ahmi, A. (2025). BiblioMagika. https://www.aidi-ahmi.com/index.php/bibliomagika
Ahmed, S. U., Ahmed, S. P., & Hasan, I. (2018). Why banks should consider ESG risk factors in bank lending? Banks & bank systems, (13, Iss. 3), 71-80.
Alamsyah, S. A. L., & Muljo, H. H. (2023). The effect of ESG dimensions on banking performance: An empirical investigation in Asia Pacific. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 426, p. 02053). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202342602053
Ali, N. B. M., Ali Hussin, H. A. A., Mohammed, H. M. F., Mohmmed, K. A. A. H., Almutiri, A. A. S. & Ali, M. A. (2025). The effect of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure on the profitability of Saudi-listed firms: Insights from Saudi Vision 2030. Sustainability, 17(7), 2977.
Baek, S., & Kang, M. (2025). Does ESG enhance asset quality and funding cost management in banking diversification? Finance Research Letters, 73, 106542.
Bikram Khadka, P., Karki, D., Dahal, R. K., & Khanal, D. (2024). Mapping the landscape of green finance and banking performance research: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Service, Innovation and Sustainable Development, 176-193.
Buallay, A. M., Wadi, R. M. A., Kukreja, G., & Hassan, A. A. (2020). Evaluating ESG disclosures of Islamic banks: Evidence from the organization of Islamic cooperation members. International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 14(3), 266-287.
Cordova, M. F., & Celone, A. (2019). SDGs and innovation in the business context literature review. Sustainability, 11(24), 7043.
Ditta, A. S. A., & Setiawan, D. (2024). Risk and Sustainability of Banking Sector Companies in Indonesia. Global Business & Finance Review, 29(11), 101.
Fakhrunnas, F., Kenc, T., & Hengchao, Z. (2025). ESG and banking performance in emerging and developing countries: Do Islamic banks perform better? Journal of Islamic Monetary Economics and Finance, 11(1), 175-198.
Gher?escu, C., Manta, A. G., B?dîrcea, R. M., Du??, A. G., & Zaharia, A. L. (2024). Bibliometric analysis of ESG in banking: What are the key directions and collaborations behind the research? Finance: Challenges of the Future, 24(26), 66-79.
Gonzalez-Ruiz, J. D., Ospina Patiño, C., & Marín-Rodríguez, N. J. (2024). The influence of environmental, social, and governance issues in the banking industry. Administrative Sciences, 14(7), 156.
Hassan, S. M. (2024). Greenwashing in ESG: Identifying and addressing false claims of sustainability.Journal of Business and Strategic Management, 9(8), 90-105.
Kaushik, N., & Dangwal, R. C. (2025). A bibliometric analysis on entrepreneurial orientation and performance literature using VOSviewer software. Vision, 29(3), 387-403.
La Torre, M., Leo, S., & Panetta, I. C. (2021). Banks and environmental, social and governance drivers: Follow the market or the authorities? Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(6), 1620-1634.
Liu, A. C., Lien, Y. C., & Li, Y. (2025). An empirical investigation of ESG dimensions and bank performance: Evidence from the COVID-19 crisis. Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, 102851.
Marashdeh, Z., & Khataybeh, M. (2025). Exploration green finance effect on Jordanian banks sustainable performance. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 13(1), 102-115.
Menicucci, E., & Paolucci, G. (2023). ESG dimensions and bank performance: An empirical investigation in Italy. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 23(3), 563-586.
Mozzherin, D., Paul, D., & Whitmire, A. (2024). Can we standardize name reconciliaton via OpenRefine? Biodiversity Information Science and Standards, 8, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.8.134910
Muniandy, R. M. (2024). Environmental Laws and investment strategies: Personal financial planning on contemporary issues. SSRN. 1-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4845945
Pathan, K., & Mohanty, M. (2025). Bibliometric analysis on ESG (environmental, social, and governance) practices and firm’s financial performance. International Journal of Management Science and Engineering Management, 20(2), 197-214.
Porzio, C., & Battaglia, F. (2024). Analyzing the role of sustainable investor in global systemically important banks and less significant institutions. Research in International Business and Finance, 68, 102166.
Prorokowski, L. (2016). Environmental risk index for financial services firms. Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, 8(1), 16-44.
Singh, A. K., Shrivastav, R. K., & Chapagain, R. (2024). Sustainable financing initiatives and banking performance: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Business Studies, 12, 3-17.
Suandi, E., Wahyudi, H., Yoda, T. C., & Reswita, Y. (2025). The influence of Islamic corporate social responsibility implementation and marketing on Islamic bank performance moderated by community religious commitment. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 16(4), 1209-1228.
Yolcu, I. (2025). Exploring the interconnection of CSR, ethics, and corporate governance. Topkap? Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 4(1), 24-46.
Yuen, M. K., Ngo, T., Le, T. D., & Ho, T. H. (2022). The environment, social and governance (ESG) activities and profitability under COVID-19: evidence from the global banking sector. Journal of Economics and Development, 24(4), 345-364.
Wei, G. J., Ismail, F., & Ab-Rahim, R. (2025). Research Trends in ESG and Banking Performance. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(8), 258–272.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
