Triple pillars of sustainable finance: The role of green finance, CSR, and digitalization in bank performance in Bangladesh
-
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/bbs.20(1).2025.04
-
Article InfoVolume 20 2025, Issue #1, pp. 38-50
- 17 Views
-
4 Downloads
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This study examines the impact of sustainable finance factors on bank performance in Bangladesh. It utilizes annual data from 24 listed commercial banks in Bangladesh from 2016 to 2022. It focuses on three sustainable finance factors: green finance, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and digitalization. These factors ensure sustainable finance practices by prioritizing eco-friendly investments, responsible business operations, operational efficiency, and reduced resource consumption rather than focusing solely on short-term profit maximization. Return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) are used to measure the performance of commercial banks. This study incorporates default rate and bank size as control variables to consider inherent risk and operational scale, resulting in a more precise evaluation of the impact of digitization, CSR, and green financing on bank performance. Traditional and dynamic panel regression models, including feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) and random effects models, are applied to ensure robust findings. The findings indicate that green finance exhibits an insignificant impact on bank performance. However, corporate social responsibility (CSR) demonstrates a statistically significant positive effect on ROE through positive marketing, enhancing reputation, and building shareholder loyalty towards banks. Conversely, digitalization shows a statistically significant negative effect on performance, implying that initial implementation costs and challenges may outweigh the benefits. In addition, control variables, including default rate and bank size, exhibit a statistically significant negative relationship with performance measures. This suggests that higher default rates indicate increased credit risk and financial losses, while larger bank sizes may lead to inefficiencies due to agency costs and organizational complexities.
- Keywords
-
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)E58, G21, M14
-
References53
-
Tables6
-
Figures0
-
- Table 1. Variable description
- Table 2. Descriptive statistics
- Table 3. Correlation matrix
- Table 4. Regression results of the impact of sustainable finance on the performance of commercial banks (Feasible Generalized Least Squares)
- Table 5. Regression result of the impact of sustainable finance on the performance of commercial banks (Random Effect Model)
- Table A1. List of commercial banks included in the sample
-
- Aburime, T. (2008). Determinants of bank profitability: Industry-level evidence from Nigeria. International Journal of Nigerian Studies and Development, 14, 21-34.
- Ahmed, N., & Abedin, M. J. (2021). The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the non-performing loans: A study on schedule banks in Bangladesh. AIUB Journal of Business and Economics, 18(1), 1-14.
- Akhter, I., Yasmin, S. & Faria, N. (2020). Green Banking Practices and Its Implication on Financial Performance of the Commercial Banks in Bangladesh. Journal of Business Administration, 42(1), 1-23.
- Al-Amin, M., Mia, R., & Hasan, S. M. (2024). FinTech Adoption and Its Impact on Bank Profitability: A Study of Bangladeshi Commercial Banks. The Cost and Management, 52(4), 27–40.
- Amador, J. S., Gómez-González, J. E., & Pabón, A. M. (2013). Loan growth and bank risk: New evidence. Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, 27(4), 365-379.
- Anbar, A., & Alper, D. (2011). Bank specific and macroeconomic determinants of commercial bank profitability: Empirical evidence from Turkey. Business and Economics Research Journal, 2(2), 139-152.
- Bangladesh Bank. (2023). Sustainable Finance Policy for Banks and Financial Institutions. Sustainable Finance Department of Bangladesh Bank, Dhaka.
- Belasri, S., Gomes, M., & Pijourlet, G. (2020). Corporate social responsibility and bank efficiency. Journal of Multinational Financial Management, 54, 100612.
- Bhaskaran, R. K., Sujit, K. S., & Mongia, S. (2023). Linkage between performance and sustainability initiatives in banking sector–An empirical examination. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 72(1), 200-225.
- Brammer, S. J., Pavelin, S., & Porter, L. A. (2006). Corporate social performance and geographical diversification. Journal of Business Research, 59(9), 1025-1034.
- Chowdhury, Y., & Nehal, M. N. (2020). Effect of corporate social responsibility expenditures on financial performance in banking sector of Bangladesh. Journal of Economics, Business and Management, 8(1), 44-49.
- Clarkson, P. M., Li, Y., Richardson, G. D., & Vasvari, F. P. (2011). Does it really pay to be green? Determinants and consequences of proactive environmental strategies. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 30(2), 122-144.
- Flamini, V., McDonald, C. A., & Schumacher, L. B. (2009). The Determinants of Commercial Bank Profitability in Sub-Saharan Africa (IMF Working Paper No. 09/15).
- Hasan, S. M., Tawfiq, T. T., Hasan, M. M., & Islam, K. A. (2024a). Corporate Governance Dynamics in Financial Institution Performance: A Panel Data Analysis. Investment Management and Financial Innovations, 21(3), 292-303.
- Hasan, S. M., Tawfiq, T. T., Hasan, M. M., & Islam, K. A. (2024b). Risk in the Shadows: Macroeconomic Shifts and Their Effects on Bangladeshi Mutual Funds. Innovations, 21(4), 371-384.
- Hasan, S.M., & Minhat, M. (2021). Diversity in Ethical Funds. In Minhat, M., Dzolkarnaini, N. (Eds.), Ethical Discourse in Finance. Palgrave Studies in Impact Finance (pp. 125-147). Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Hemingway, C. A., & Maclagan, P. W. (2004). Managers’ Personal Values as Drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 50(1), 33-44.
- Hoechle, D. (2007). Robust standard errors for panel regressions with cross-sectional dependence. The Stata Journal, 7(3), 281-312.
- Hossain, M. A., Rahman, M. M., Hossain, M. S., & Karim, M. R. (2020). The effects of green banking practices on financial performance of listed banking companies in Bangladesh. Canadian Journal of Business and Information Studies, 2(6), 120-128.
- Inoue, Y., & Lee, S. (2011). Effects of different dimensions of corporate social responsibility on corporate financial performance in tourism-related industries. Tourism Management, 32(4), 790-804.
- Julia, T. & Kassim, S. (2019). Exploring green banking performance of Islamic banks vs conventional banks in Bangladesh based on Maqasid Shariah framework. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 11(3), 729-744.
- Karjaluoto, H., Mattila, M., & Pento, T. (2002). Factors underlying attitude formation towards online banking in Finland. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 20(6), 261-272.
- Kotiso, M. S. (2018). Factors affecting default risk of commercial banks: Evidence from Ethiopian banking industry. Research Journal of Finance and Accounting, 9(1), 1-10.
- Leszczensky, L., & Wolbring, T. (2019). How to Deal with Reverse Causality Using Panel Data? Recommendations for Researchers Based on a Simulation Study. Sociological Methods & Research, 51(2), 837-865.
- Malhotra, P., & Singh, B. (2009). The impact of Internet banking on bank performance and risk: The Indian experience. Eurasian Journal of Business and Economics, 2(4), 43-62.
- Mulwa, F. (2017). Effect of Internet banking on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya (Doctoral Thesis). University of Nairobi.
- Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS). (2020). NGFS Annual Report 2019 (pp. 1-9). The Central Banks and Supervisors, NGFS Paris, France.
- Niemand, T., Rigtering, J. C., Kallmünzer, A., Kraus, S., & Maalaoui, A. (2021). Digitalization in the financial industry: A contingency approach of entrepreneurial orientation and strategic vision on digitalization. European Management Journal, 39(3), 317-326.
- Njogu, J. N. (2014). The effect of electronic banking on profitability of commercial banks in Kenya (Doctoral Thesis). University of Nairobi.
- Ongore, V. O., & Kusa, G. B. (2013). Determinants of Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 3(1), 237-252.
- Pasiouras, F., & Kosmidou, K. (2007). Factors influencing the profitability of domestic and foreign commercial banks in the European Union. Research in International Business and Finance, 21(2), 222-237.
- Petersen, M. A. (2009). Estimating standard errors in finance panel data sets: Comparing approaches. The Review of Financial Studies, 22(1), 435-480.
- Pinchot, A., Sato, I., Christianson, G., & Zhou, L. (2019). Unpacking Green Targets: A Framework for Interpreting Private-Sector Banks’ Sustainable Finance Commitments. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute.
- Rahman, M. M., Ahsan, M. A., Hossain, M. M., & Hoq, M. (2013). Green banking prospects in Bangladesh. Asian Business Review, 2(2), 59-63.
- Reganold, J. P., Papendick, R. I., & Parr, J. F. (1990). Sustainable agriculture. Scientific American, 262(6), 112-121.
- Scholtens, B., & Kang, F. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility and Earnings Quality: Evidence from Korean Firms. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 20(6), 345-360.
- Serdarušić, H., Pancić, M., & Zavišić, Ž. (2024). Green finance and Fintech adoption services among Croatian online users: how digital transformation and digital awareness increase banking sustainability. Economies, 12(3), 54.
- Singh, R., & Gupta, A. (2022). Digital Platforms and Financial Inclusion: A Pathway to Economic Sustainability. International Journal of Finance & Economics, 27(4), 789-803.
- Socol, A., & Danuletiu, A. E. (2013). Analysis of the Romanian banks performance through ROA, ROE and non-performing loans models. Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, 2(15), 594-604.
- Soppe, A. (2009). Sustainable finance as a connection between corporate social responsibility and social responsible investing. Indian School of Business WP Indian Management Research Journal, 1(3), 13-23.
- Tara, K., Singh, S. & Kumar, R. (2015). Green Banking for Environmental Management: A Paradigm Shift. Current World Environment, 10(3), 1029-1038.
- Templeton, G. F. (2011). A two-step approach for transforming continuous variables to normal: implications and recommendations for IS research. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 28(4), 41-58.
- Thompson, P., & Cowton, C. J. (2004). Bringing the environment into bank lending: implications for environmental reporting. The British Accounting Review, 36(2), 197-218.
- Ullah, M. M. (2013). Green Banking in Bangladesh- A comparative analysis. World Review of Business Research, 3(4), 74-83.
- Umoru, D., & Osemwegie, J. O. (2016). Capital adequacy and financial performance of banks in Nigeria: empirical evidence based on the fgls estimator. European Scientific Journal, 12(25), 295-305.
- Urban, M. & Wójcik, D. (2019). Dirty Banking: Probing the Gap in Sustainable Finance. Sustainability, 11(6), 1745.
- Wadesango, N., & Magaya, B. (2020). The impact of digital banking services on the performance of commercial banks. Journal of Management Information and Decision Sciences, 23, 343-353.
- Waweru, N., & Kalani, V. M. (2008). Commercial banking crises in Kenya: Causes and remedies. Global Journal of Finance and Banking Issues, 3(3), 12-33.
- Wernerfelt, B. (1984). A resource-based view of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5(2), 171-180.
- Wooldridge, J. M. (2010). Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data. MIT press.
- Zheng, G. W., Siddik, A. B., Masukujjaman, M., & Fatema, N. (2021). Factors affecting the sustainability performance of financial institutions in Bangladesh: the role of green finance. Sustainability, 13(18), 10165.
- Zhou, X., Tang, X., & Zhang, R. (2020). Impact of green finance on economic development and environmental quality: a study based on provincial panel data from China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 19915-19932.
- Ziolo, M., Filipiak, B. Z., Bąk, I., & Cheba, K. (2019). How to design more sustainable financial systems: The roles of environmental, social, and governance factors in decision-making. Sustainability, 11(20), 5604.