Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Risk-Taking Capability
A special issue of Risks (ISSN 2227-9091).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 18
Special Issue Editor
Interests: ESG; corporate governance; corporate performance evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations transition from peripheral corporate initiatives to central strategic pillars, their interplay with corporate risk-taking capability has emerged as a critical yet under-researched domain. Risk-taking capability is defined as an organization’s capacity to identify, assess, and act on opportunities amid uncertainty, which directly influences innovation, growth, and long-term value creation. However, the integration of ESG into corporate decision-making introduces a dual dynamic: while ESG practices may enhance stakeholder trust and operational resilience, they also impose new constraints and expectations that shape risk appetite.
Existing literature predominantly examines ESG performance or regulatory compliance, overlooking its nuanced relationship with risk-taking behavior. For instance, stringent ESG standards may deter high-risk, high-reward projects (e.g., fossil fuel divestment), yet simultaneously foster innovation in sustainable technologies (e.g., renewable energy investments). Furthermore, divergent stakeholder priorities—such as investor demands for ESG alignment versus shareholder expectations of short-term returns—create tensions that influence risk allocation.
This Special Issue seeks to address this gap by exploring how ESG frameworks reconfigure corporate risk-taking capabilities. We cordially invite submissions presenting original research on related topics including, but not limited to, the following:
- ESG disclosure and risk-taking transparency
- Board diversity and risk-taking in ESG contexts
- Stakeholder pressure and risk-averse/innovative behaviors
- Cross-industry variations in ESG-risk dynamics
- Regulatory incentives and risk-taking in emerging markets
We look forward to your valuable contributions in enhancing the depth and breadth of this discourse.
Dr. Jian Xu
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Risks is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- ESG
- corporate social responsibility
- risk management
- corporate governance
- corporate risk-taking capability
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
