Sustainable finance research: Review and agenda

Abstract

Amidst increased climatic disasters, persisting social evils, and governance concerns, sustainable finance and its new and innovative financial instruments have gained prominence across stakeholders globally. Green, social sustainability, sustainability-linked, and transition (collectively GSS+) debt have a market worth USD 3.9 trillion since 2007 (Climate Bonds Initiative, 2018). We provide a comprehensive review of the evolution and future research directions of the sustainable finance research field by analysing overall publication trends, subject categories, co-authorship networks, keywords, countries and institutions, journal co-citation, and cluster analysis. Findings include the emergent need for greater collaboration among authors globally. Future research directions include research questions for themes such as carbon emission trading, financial inclusion, reporting of proceeds related to sustainable finance to prevent greenwashing, the impact of climate change and climate finance on sustainable finance, mobilisation of sustainable finance through green bonds, and technological interactions between sustainable finance and blockchain and artificial intelligence. The study also provides implications for the stakeholders.