Sustainable Finance and Ethical Investment: A Paradigm Shift in Global Capital Markets
Keywords:
Sustainable Finance, Ethical Investment, Greenwashing, Stakeholder Theory, Responsible Investing
AbstractThis study presents a comprehensive literature review on the evolving role of sustainable finance and ethical investment as a transformative force in global capital markets. It explores the theoretical foundations that underpin ethical investing, including stakeholder theory, institutional theory, legitimacy theory, and behavioral finance. The review identifies key drivers of ethical investment, such as regulatory developments, institutional investor demand, technological innovation, and changing demographic preferences. Empirical findings indicate that sustainable investment strategies often yield comparable or superior financial performance while enhancing portfolio resilience. However, persistent implementation challenges-including inconsistent ESG metrics, greenwashing, and measurement limitations-undermine the credibility and effectiveness of ethical finance. The study highlights the need for greater standardization, reliable data, and regulatory coherence to support the sustainable integration of ESG principles into financial systems. Future research directions are proposed to deepen the understanding of ESG impact, investor behavior, and technological applications in responsible investing.Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
ReferencesBoffo, R., & Patalano, R. (2020). ESG Investing: Practices, Progress and Challenges. OECD Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/61d27602-en . Revelli, C., & Viviani, J. L. (2015). Financial Performance of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI): What Have We Learned? A Meta‐Analysis. Business Ethics: A European Review, 24(2), 158–185. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12076 . Amel-Zadeh, A., & Serafeim, G. (2018). Why and How Investors Use ESG Information: Evidence from A Global Survey. Financial Analysts Journal, 74(3), 87–103. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2469/faj.v74.n3.2 . Berg, F., Kölbel, J. F., & Rigobon, R. (2022). Aggregate Confusion: The Divergence of ESG Ratings. Review of Finance, 26(6), 1315–1344. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/rof/rfac033 . Christensen, H. B., Hail, L., & Leuz, C. (2021). Mandatory CSR and Sustainability Reporting: Economic Analysis and Literature Review. Review of Accounting Studies, 26, 1176–1248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-021-09536-y . DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality In Organizational Fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2095101 . Riedl, A., & Smeets, P. (2017). Why do Investors Hold Socially Responsible Mutual Funds?. Journal of Finance, 72(6), 2505–2550. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jofi.12547 . Schäfer, H. (2020). ESG Investing: Strategies, Benefits and Risks. Journal of Asset Management, 21(4), 276–289. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41260-020-00155-8 . Kim, Y., Park, M. S., & Wier, B. (2012). Is Earnings Quality Associated with Corporate Social Responsibility?. The Accounting Review, 87(3), 761–796. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-10209 . Kotsantonis, S., & Serafeim, G. (2019). Four Things No One Will Tell You About ESG Data. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 31(2), 50–58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jacf.12346 . Renneboog, L., Ter Horst, J., & Zhang, C. (2008). Socially Responsible Investments: Institutional Aspects, Performance, and Investor Behavior. Journal of Banking & Finance, 32(9), 1723–1742. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2007.12.039 Albuquerque, R., Koskinen, Y., Yang, S., & Zhang, C. (2020). Resiliency of Environmental and Social Stocks: An Analysis of The Exogenous COVID-19 Market Crash. The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, 9(3), 593–621. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/rcfs/cfaa009 . Miralles-Quiros, M. D. M., Miralles-Quiros, J. L., & Redondo-Hernández, J. (2019). ESG Performance and Shareholder Value Creation In The Banking Industry: International Differences. Sustainability, 11(5), 1404. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051404 . Zhang, D., Hoang, T. H. V., & Nguyen, L. V. (2021). ESG Performance and Firms’ Value: Evidence from Global Listed Firms. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(10), 486. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14100486 . Busch, T., Bauer, R., & Orlitzky, M. (2016). Sustainable Development and Financial Markets: Old Paths and New Avenues. Business & Society, 55(3), 303–329. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650315570701 . Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards A Methodology for Developing Evidence‐Informed Management Knowledge by Means of Systematic Review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375 . Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLOS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097 . Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for The Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Research In Systematic Reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8(1), 45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45 . Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to Conduct A Bibliometric Analysis: An Overview and Guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070 . Friede, G., Busch, T., & Bassen, A. (2015). ESG and Financial Performance: Aggregated Evidence from More Than 2000 Empirical Studies. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 5(4), 210–233. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2015.1118917 . Clark, G. L., & Hebb, T. (2004). Pension Fund Corporate Engagement: The Fifth Stage of Capitalism. Relations industrielles/Industrial Relations, 59(1), 142–171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/009256ar . Krueger, P., Sautner, Z., & Starks, L. T. (2020). The Importance of Climate Risks For Institutional Investors. Review of Financial Studies, 33(3), 1067–1111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhz137 . OECD. (2020). Developing Sustainable Finance Definitions and Taxonomies. OECD Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/134a2dbe-en . Freeman, R. E. (2015). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach (pp. 1–276). Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139192675 . Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571–610. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9508080331 . Hartzmark, S. M., & Sussman, A. B. (2019). Do Investors Value Sustainability? A Natural Experiment Examining Ranking and Fund Flows. Journal of Finance, 74(6), 2789–2837. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jofi.12841 . Krüger, P. (2015). Corporate Goodness and Shareholder Wealth. Journal of Financial Economics, 115(2), 304–329. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.09.008 . Chen, L. H., Hung, M., & Wang, Y. (2018). The Effect of Mandatory CSR Disclosure on Firm Profitability and Social Externalities: Evidence From China. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 65(1), 169–190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2017.11.009 . Bauer, R., Derwall, J., & Otten, R. (2007). The Ethical Mutual Fund Performance Debate: New Evidence from Canada. Journal of Business Ethics, 70(2), 111–124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9099-0 . Delmas, M. A., & Burbano, V. C. (2011). The Drivers of Greenwashing. California Management Review, 54(1), 64–87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2011.54.1.64 . Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2015). The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility On Investment Recommendations: Analysts' Perceptions and Shifting Institutional Logics. Strategic Management Journal, 36(7), 1053–1081. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2268 . Boubaker, S., Nguyen, D. K., & Roubaud, D. (2018). Corporate Social Responsibility and Dividend Policy. Finance Research Letters, 25, 185–191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2017.11.001 . Richardson, B. J. (2009). Keeping Ethical Investment Ethical: Regulatory Issues for Investing for Sustainability. Journal of Business Ethics, 87(4), 555–572. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9955-0 . Arjaliès, D. L., & Bansal, P. (2018). Beyond Numbers: How Investment Managers Accommodate Societal Issues In Financial Decisions. Organization Studies, 39(5-6), 691–719. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840617717096 |
Published
2025-06-30
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Sandra, J., Malik, D., Pratiwi, S. W., & Dameria, R. (2025). Sustainable Finance and Ethical Investment: A Paradigm Shift in Global Capital Markets. Jurnal Informatika Ekonomi Bisnis, 7(2), 411-416. https://doi.org/10.37034/infeb.v7i2.1143
![]() This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. |