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The current chapter deals with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration issue that should contribute to the higher expected investment returns as different kinds of risk are managed in a better and more sufficient way. The goal is to study the ESG risks integration into the decision-making process and test the results. The research chapter intends to contribute to the existing discussion by evaluating some integration techniques. Following the development of the European Taxonomy, one can expect increased interest in integrating ESG risks into the financial forecast and asset valuation. The current chapter deals with Berger and UniCredit Bank’s (2010) proposal to include the ESG data as factors influencing the foretasted financial data in terms of direct costs (like energy, waste, water, and paper expenses; payments for sick leaves and employees’ turnover costs); externality costs (like CO₂ compliance costs) and opportunity costs (ESG provisions; expenses for board compensations). The chapter provides an overview of some integration approaches and discusses the idea of incorporating the ESG criteria into the stock valuation and portfolio management process. It is evident that the classical value investing approach is no more suitable. Nevertheless, the tested sample does not show significantly different results based on the backtesting. The research results could be interesting for authors preparing research on the field of sustainability and risk management as well as for portfolio managers considering the ESG integration to achieve the positive alpha.

Environment, social and governance (ESG) has taken on increased importance in recent years. This paper assesses the increasing importance of the social (“S”) dimension of ESG in the real estate space and the strategies being used by the leading real estate players to deliver this important aspect of ESG. This includes gender equality, cultural diversity, staff wellness, supply chain management and community engagement. It also indicates the need for an increased level of metrics in the S space for the effective delivery and external validation of the S dimension into real estate investment decision-making.

This research is based on a thorough understanding of the ESG environment in the real estate industry by the author. Best practice examples regarding the S dimension are given from the ESG/sustainability reports from real estate players in Australia who are leaders in the ESG space.

Excellent examples of the delivery of the S dimension are reported from the ESG/sustainability reports from the real estate industry. Whilst there is an increasing range of S information being reported in the real estate industry, there is a need for more metrics to effectively report this S information to indicate its key role in seeing the S dimension being delivered for the fuller integration of ESG at all levels of the real estate industry. The external validation of this S information will also take on increased importance going forward.

With ESG becoming a critical issue in the real estate sector, issues involved in the S space will take on increased significance. This is critical, as the elements of the S dimension such as gender equality, cultural diversity, staff wellness, community engagement and supply chain management are important aspects for an effectively functioning real estate industry. More metrics in the S space will be an important development to further expand the delivery and external validation of the S space of ESG.

This paper is the first paper to specifically address the need for more focus on delivering the S dimension of ESG in the real estate industry, highlighted by best practice examples from the real estate industry in Australia. This is a key issue for the real estate industry going forward at all levels to facilitate more effective real estate investment decision-making.

The increasing relevance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) engagement has attracted interest in its drivers and effects on business outcomes under different organizational settings. By focusing on family firms (FFs), we deepen both the role of business ethics as a predictor of enhanced ESG engagement and the link with improved corporate financial performance (CFP). In this way, we aim to provide new insights into the impact of business ethics and ESG engagement on FFs competitiveness.

Based on a worldwide panel of 335 FFs covering the 2002–2020 time horizon, this study adopts a two-stage Heckman model (1979) to empirically address two research questions: (RQ1) Do business ethics predict greater ESG engagement in FFs? (RQ2) Does ESG engagement positively affect the corporate financial performance (CFP) of FFs?

The results of the current study are twofold. First, we demonstrate that an ethical approach to business drives greater ESG engagement. Second, we show that higher levels of ESG engagement lead to improved financial performance in FFs.

Our study contributes to filling the knowledge gaps regarding the drivers and effects of ESG engagement in FFs. On the one hand, we demonstrate the positive connection between dimensions that have their own identity, such as business ethics and ESG constructs. On the other hand, by shedding light on the impact of ESG engagement on improved CFP, we contribute to solving the trade-off between economic and noneconomic FF goals.

From a target perspective, this paper aims to examine the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transaction valuations.

This paper uses a sample of 629 international transactions conducted between 2002 and 2020. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was applied by using ESG aggregate score and the three ESG pillars: environment, social and governance.

This paper finds that the ESG performance of targets has a negative and significant impact on acquisition premiums. However, this paper finds that targets receive lower premiums by increasing their ESG score, suggesting that targets would do better to focus on ESG to increase shareholder wealth. Thus, results of this paper support the view that ESG-focused firms create shareholder value through the M&A process. Furthermore, results of this paper indicate that environmental and social aspects of ESG drive the acquisition premium. The governance score does not seem to be related to acquisition premiums.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study to assess whether ESG performance impacts the valuation of M&A transactions by decomposing ESG into its three components.

The interconnected challenges of climate change and social inclusivity have placed unprecedented pressure on businesses to adopt responsible practices. While previous research has explored the individual impacts of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and diversity initiatives, there remains a dearth of comprehensive investigations into how these factors collectively influence carbon emission scores. Drawing on the legitimacy theory, we explore whether ESG and diversity scores predict global companies' carbon emission scores. As concerns about the environmental impact of businesses grow, understanding the relationships between ESG performance, diversity management, and carbon emissions becomes imperative for sustainable corporate practices.

The primary dataset for this study includes 1,268 worldwide firm-year data for 2021. The sample is subjected to missing data examination as a component of the filtration process. Data preprocessing is performed before machine learning analysis, including verifying missing data. Our research resulted in the final sample, which includes 627 worldwide firm data from 2021. Data regarding all publicly traded companies was obtained from Refinitiv Eikon.

Our findings showed that corporate carbon emission performance in global corporations is influenced by ESG performance and total diversity score.

Firms involve in ESG as well as diversity practices to be able to achieve sustainable success. Yet, the forecasting of carbon emissions based on ESG scores and diversity scores remains inadequately established due to conflicting findings and enigmas prevalent in the literature.

This is the application of the Entropy and TOPSIS model to assess the eco-efficiency of European financial institutions using environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies. The aim is to categorize financial institutions based on key factors such as environmental training and management and to examine the alignment between ideal ESG performance and eco-efficiency.

The study uses environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies to identify and categorize eco-entrepreneurs in European financial institutions. The study utilizes data to examine the structure between environmental training, effective management practices, and the green performance of financial institutions.

The study shows that European financial institutions exhibit varying degrees of eco-efficiency as assessed using the Entropy and TOPSIS model applied to ESG strategies. Surprisingly, the study found that institutions with a high ESG performance do not always match those with the highest eco-efficiency.

They emphasize the need for financial institutions to align their operations with sustainable practices. This research provides insights to increase eco-efficiency and improve the ESG performance of financial institutions. It also informs policy and decision-making in these institutions in relation to environmental training and management practices, contributing to the wider dialogue on sustainable finance.

This indicates a discrepancy between ESG ratings and actual eco-efficiency, emphasizing the need to reassess the ESG framework. The study findings are crucial for aligning financial institutions with sustainable practices and improving the effectiveness of the ESG framework, especially for institutions at the lower end of the eco-efficiency spectrum.

This study aims to examine the ramifications of corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing in zombie firms and considers how external funding support may moderate this relationship given the sustainable nature of ESG performance, which often incurs costs.

Panel regression analyses used data from China’s A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2019, resulting in a data set comprising 6,054 observations.

Despite firms’ additional financial burdens, corporate ESG investing emerges as a catalyst in resurrecting zombie firms by attracting investor attention. Further analysis underscores the significance of funding support from entities such as the government and banks in alleviating ESG cost pressures and enhancing the efficacy of corporate ESG investing. Notably, the positive impact of corporate ESG investing is most pronounced in non-heavily polluting and non-state-owned firms. The results of classification tests reveal that social (S) and governance (G) investing yield greater efficacy in revitalizing zombie firms compared to environmental (E) investing.

This research enriches the discourse on corporate ESG investing and offers insights for governing zombie firms and shaping government policies.

By extending the domain of ESG research to encompass zombie firms, this paper sheds light on the multifaceted role of corporate ESG investing. Furthermore, this study comprehensively evaluates the influence of external funding support on the positive outcomes of ESG investing, thereby contributing to the resolution of the longstanding debate on the relationship between ESG performance and corporate financial performance, particularly with regard to ESG costs and benefits.

This study aims to examine the impact of digital transformation on firms’ value and explore the mediating impact of ESG performance and moderating impact of information interaction.

Data was collected from companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchange between 2012 and 2020 with 21,488 observational samples, featuring a selection of 3,348 companies. Panel data regression techniques were used to test the mediating role of ESG performance and the moderating role of information interaction.

The study found that digital transformation can improve firms’ ESG performance, which in turn positively affects their value. The firms that engage in more interaction with outsiders benefit more from digital transformation and have a higher value.

This study provides new theoretical insight into improving firms’ value through digital transformation and ESG performance. It is the first to discuss and study the moderating role of information interaction in the relationship between digital transformation and firms’ value.

The aim of this study is to identify environmental, social and governance (ESG)-focused funds that can effectively uphold ethical principles while also delivering competitive financial returns by evaluating the performance of 24 well-established exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The study also compares the performance of four widely recognized ETFs representing NASDAQ (ticker: QQQ), S&P500 (SPY), Dow Jones (DIA) and Russell 2000 (IWM) with the sample of 24 ESG funds.

This paper utilizes four complementary measures, namely Sharpe, Sortino, Omega and Calmar ratios, to assess the risk-adjusted return performance of ETFs, with a particular emphasis on extreme downside risk.

The findings indicate that ESG-focused ETFs can predominantly outperform DIA and IWM in the last five years (1 November 2018–22 March 2023). However, when compared to QQQ and SPY, only ICLN, SUSA and DSI consistently delivered competitive risk-adjusted returns. The performance of DSI and SUSA is almost equivalent to QQQ and SPY even during the last ten years.

The paper conducts a risk-return analysis of alternative ESG investment funds, suggesting that not all ETFs are created equal and that careful selection is vital for achieving different investment objectives. It is imperative to recognize that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future outcomes, requiring consideration of other factors in the post-evaluation phase.

The study provides evidence to support the “doing well while doing good” hypothesis, indicating that competitive returns are achievable while also engaging in socially responsible investment.

This study fills a vital gap in the literature on ESG investment by highlighting that the choice of funds stands as the primary factor responsible for the conflicting findings by previous studies.

The proliferation of environmental rating tools over the past two decades has endeavoured to assist the industry in measuring sustainability. Recent changes to the International Valuation Standards (IVS) have directed valuers to consider ESG. The purpose of this study aims to examine how commonly utilized sustainability tools, which have been employed to communicate building sustainability credentials, align with the IVS categories of ESG.

The research utilises the IVS categorisation of ESG and maps sustainability tools adopted at scale by the Australian Commercial Real Estate market. The approach identifies the various attributes within the commonly utilised rating tools that align with IVS defined ESG criteria.

The mapping provides insights into the coverage of the IVS ESG criteria in the mainstream tools used in Australia. Further, the research identifies existing sustainability criteria that are relevant to the built environment, that have not been clearly identified by the IVS, but have an important role in evaluating the sustainability of commercial real estate.

For investors, occupiers and valuers, this research provides insights on how the current, commonly utilised sustainability rating tools align with the IVS-defined ESG metrics. This research assists in providing greater clarity regarding the relationship between ESG criteria and existing rating tools, which have been recently identified as key considerations in valuation practice and help to provide transparency and understanding for property stakeholders.

The importance of monitoring, reporting and enhancing transparency in ESG disclosures has emerged as a central issue with significant implications for the property industry. This research provides the first evaluation of how existing sustainability rating tools map against ESG criteria as directed in the IVS.