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ESG Management, Performance, and Corporate Sustainability: Insights and Innovations
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ESG Management, Performance, and Corporate Sustainability: Insights and Innovations

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 10066

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ali Meftah Gerged

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sheffield University Management School, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
Interests: environmental, social, and governance (ESG); corporate social responsibility (CSR); ethical accounting; global sustainability initiatives; corporate governance
Dr. Khaldoon Albitar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Interests: corporate social and environmental responsibility; sustainability accounting Integrated reporting; climate change and carbon reporting; ESG; corporate eco-innovation; corporate governance; textual analysis in accounting and finance research and auditing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the growing emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors has reshaped the way in which firms approach sustainability and performance (Albitar et al., 2020; Gerged, Tran et al., 2023). ESG management has emerged as a key determinant of long-term corporate success, impacting not only financial performance but also brand reputation, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory compliance (Moskovics et al., 2024). The integration of ESG metrics is now critical for companies seeking to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices while navigating the complex landscape of global business challenges (Gerged, Salem et al., 2023; Albitar et al., 2023).

This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted relationship between ESG management, corporate performance, and sustainability through original research, theoretical papers, empirical case studies, and comprehensive reviews that offer novel insights into the role of ESG in shaping corporate strategies, performance measurement, and sustainability outcomes across industries and regions.

The key topics of interest include but are not limited to the following: 

  • The impact of ESG practices on financial and non-financial performance;
  • ESG reporting and its influence on stakeholder trust and corporate transparency;
  • The integration of ESG into corporate governance frameworks;
  • The role of technology in advancing ESG data collection and reporting;
  • Cross-regional comparisons of ESG practices and their outcomes;
  • The effect of ESG-driven corporate strategies on firm resilience and long-term sustainability;
  • ESG challenges and opportunities in emerging markets;
  • ESG and risk management considering climate change and global economic shifts;
  • Policy frameworks and regulations driving ESG practices across different industries;
  • The role of investors and shareholders in promoting corporate ESG initiatives. 

We welcome contributions from both academics and practitioners, with the aim of fostering a comprehensive understanding of the role of ESG management in shaping sustainable corporate performance. Submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the highest quality and relevance. 

For inquiries, please feel free to contact Dr. Ali Meftah Gerged at a.m.gerged@sheffield.ac.uk or Dr. Khaldoon Albitar at Khaldoon.Albitar@glasgow.ac.uk. 

We look forward to your contributions to this exciting Special Issue. 

References: 

Albitar, K.; Al-Shaer, H.; Liu, Y.S. Corporate commitment to climate change: The effect of eco-innovation and climate governance. Res. Policy 2023, 52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2022.104697.

Albitar, K., Hussainey, K., Kolade, N., & Gerged, A. M. ESG disclosure and firm performance before and after IR: The moderating role of governance mechanisms. Int. J. Account. Inf. Manag. 2020, 28, 429–444.

Gerged, A.M.; Salem, R.; Beddewela, E. How does transparency into global sustainability initiatives influence firm value? Insights from Anglo‐American countries. Bus. Strat. Environ. 2023, 32, 4519–4547. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3379.

Gerged, A.M.; Tran, M.; Beddewela, E.S. Engendering Pro-Sustainable Performance Through a Multi-Layered Gender Diversity Criterion: Evidence From the Hospitality and Tourism Sector. J. Travel Res. 2022, 62, 1047–1076. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875221111754.

Moskovics, P.; Wanke, P.; Tan, Y.; Gerged, A.M. Market structure, ESG performance, and corporate efficiency: Insights from Brazilian publicly traded companies. Bus. Strat. Environ. 2023, 33, 241–262. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3492.

Dr. Ali Meftah Gerged
Dr. Khaldoon Albitar
Guest Editors

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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 (Environmental, Social, and Governance)
  • financial performance
  • corporate governance
  • long-term sustainability
  • risk management
  • climate change
  • global economic shifts
  • policy frameworks

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 2794 KiB  
Article
Does ESG Performance Enhance Corporate Green Technological Innovation? Micro Evidence from Chinese-Listed Companies
by Chenhui Lu, Caitian Wu, Linjie Feng, Jinghui Zhan, Yi Shi and Huangxin Chen
Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020636 - 15 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1486
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance on the green technological innovation (GTI) of Chinese A-share-listed companies, using data from 2009 to 2022. The findings indicate that strong ESG performance significantly enhances GTI, with this effect being more [...] Read more.
This study investigates the impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance on the green technological innovation (GTI) of Chinese A-share-listed companies, using data from 2009 to 2022. The findings indicate that strong ESG performance significantly enhances GTI, with this effect being more pronounced in state-owned firms and non-high-tech sectors, demonstrating heterogeneity across firm types. Mechanism analysis reveals that ESG performance facilitates GTI by mitigating financing constraints and boosting R&D investments. Moreover, the study identifies a non-linear relationship, wherein the effect of ESG on GTI varies with firm size and environmental regulation intensity, as confirmed through a threshold model. This study not only deepens the theoretical framework linking corporate ESG performance with GTI but also uncovers the practical mechanisms through which ESG performance drives GTI, providing both practical insights and theoretical foundations for governments to formulate corporate green transition policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue ESG Management, Performance, and Corporate Sustainability: Insights and Innovations)
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28 pages, 3424 KiB  
Article
An Evolutionary Game and Simulation Study of Work Safety Governance and Its Impact on Long-Term Sustainability Under the Supervisory System
by Wu Hu, Fujun Ma and Tianjv Li
Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 566; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020566 - 13 Jan 2025
Viewed by 888
Abstract
Work safety governance is a critical component of corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance, particularly in high-risk industries. Effective safety supervision systems not only protect workers’ wellbeing, a key social metric in ESG frameworks, but also enhance corporate governance through improved risk [...] Read more.
Work safety governance is a critical component of corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance, particularly in high-risk industries. Effective safety supervision systems not only protect workers’ wellbeing, a key social metric in ESG frameworks, but also enhance corporate governance through improved risk management and regulatory compliance. The supervisory system represents a major institutional innovation in China’s approach to addressing increasingly complex work safety governance challenges. This study constructs an evolutionary game model involving the central government, local government, and high-risk enterprises to analyze the evolutionary characteristics of stakeholder behaviors. Through system simulation, we examine how key parameter changes affect the stability of system equilibrium points. Our findings reveal that (1) the current supervisory system effectively incentivizes both local governments to conduct safety supervision and high-risk enterprises to comply with safety investment requirements. (2) While government penalty levels do not affect strategy combinations, both insufficient and excessive penalties slow the system’s evolution toward optimal states. (3) Local governments tend to choose non-regulatory strategies when transfer payments and enterprise subsidies are inadequate. (4) Insufficient supervision intensity from the central government leads to local government non-regulation, and although this can be addressed by increasing supervision intensity, excessive supervision reduces the system’s evolution speed toward ideal states. Based on these findings, we propose policy recommendations for rational supervision intensity control, scientific reward–punishment mechanisms, and enhanced safety information transparency. This framework provides insights into the relationship between governance mechanisms and corporate long-term sustainability, which has been shown to improve ESG standards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue ESG Management, Performance, and Corporate Sustainability: Insights and Innovations)
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Review

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26 pages, 1970 KiB  
Review
From the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Criteria to the Greenwashing Phenomenon: A Comprehensive Literature Review About the Causes, Consequences and Solutions of the Phenomenon with Specific Case Studies
by Evanthia K. Zervoudi, Nikos Moschos and Apostolos G. Christopoulos
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2222; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052222 - 4 Mar 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6826
Abstract
Greenwashing, the phenomenon of misleading stakeholders concerning the environmental sustainability efforts of a company, may undermine the trust of people to a company or to a whole industry and the progress toward sustainability. This paper provides an extensive Literature Review about the evolution [...] Read more.
Greenwashing, the phenomenon of misleading stakeholders concerning the environmental sustainability efforts of a company, may undermine the trust of people to a company or to a whole industry and the progress toward sustainability. This paper provides an extensive Literature Review about the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria and their relationship with the Greenwashing Phenomenon. It also examines the historical and regulatory contexts, causes, consequences and mitigation strategies of this phenomenon. By analyzing the market distortions and the environmental harm that may be linked to the Greenwashing Phenomenon, the study highlights the need for enhanced regulation, improved transparency and stakeholder vigilance. The methods employed in this paper include a thematic analysis of the literature and qualitative case study comparisons to derive insights into the multifarious impacts of greenwashing. Such case studies provided in this paper concern companies such as Volkswagen, Zara, Coca-Cola and BP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue ESG Management, Performance, and Corporate Sustainability: Insights and Innovations)
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