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Environment, social and governance (ESG) performance and CDS spreads: the role of country sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Lutfi Abdul Razak
  • Mansor H. Ibrahim
  • Adam Ng

Abstract

Purpose - Based on a sample of 1,872 firm-year observations for 573 global firms over the period 2013–2016, this study aims to provide empirical evidence on how environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance affects corporate creditworthiness as measured by credit default swap (CDS) spreads. Design/methodology/approach - The authors use a regression model that accounts for country, industry and time-fixed effects as well as the instrumental-based Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach to dynamic panel modeling. Findings - This study finds that improvements in ESG performance, especially in its governance pillar, reduce credit risk. Further, the authors uncover evidence suggesting the complementarity between ESG performance and country-level sustainability. The results indicate a stronger risk-mitigating impact of ESG performance in countries with higher sustainability scores. Practical implications - In terms of practical implications, the findings suggest that corporations should strengthen governance frameworks and procedures to reduce credit risk, prior to embarking on environmental and social objectives. Further, the finding that country sustainability is an important determinant of CDS spreads suggests that country-level sustainability initiatives would not only help to preserve natural capital and promote social capital but also be beneficial to businesses and financial stability. Originality/value - The study adds to the literature on the effects of ESG performance on credit risk by (1) utilizing a measure of ESG performance that considers the financial materiality of ESG issues across different industries; (2) utilizing a market-based measure of credit risk and CDS spreads; (3) examining the relative importance of ESG components to credit risk, rather than just the aggregate measure; and (4) assessing the influence of country sustainability on the relationship between ESG and credit risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Lutfi Abdul Razak & Mansor H. Ibrahim & Adam Ng, 2023. "Environment, social and governance (ESG) performance and CDS spreads: the role of country sustainability," Journal of Risk Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(5), pages 585-613, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:jrfpps:jrf-10-2022-0278
    DOI: 10.1108/JRF-10-2022-0278
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mirza, Nawazish & Umar, Muhammad & Horobet, Alexandra & Boubaker, Sabri, 2024. "Effects of climate change and technological capex on credit risk cycles in the European Union," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    2. Postiglione, Massimo & Carini, Cristian & Falini, Alberto, 2025. "Assessing Firm ESG Performance Through Corporate Survival: The Moderating Role of Firm Size," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    3. Işık, Cem & Ongan, Serdar & Islam, Hasibul & Menegaki, Angeliki N., 2026. "Corrigendum to “A roadmap for sustainable global supply chain distribution: Exploring the interplay of ECON-ESG factors, technological advancement and SDGs on natural resources” [Resources Policy 95 (2024) 105114]," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    4. Ying Wang & Satoru Shimokawa, 2026. "Does ESG Matter for Unlisted Companies in the Agri‐Food Industry? Evidence From Japan's Unlisted Agri‐Food Companies," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 516-533, April.
    5. Boţa-Avram, Cristina & Apostu, Simona Andreea & Ivan, Raluca & Achim, Monica Violeta, 2024. "Exploring the impact of macro-determinant factors on energy resource depletion: Evidence from a worldwide cross-country panel data analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    6. Chen, Pei-Fen & Chen, Mei-Ping, 2025. "Do country sustainability practices matter to happiness?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    7. Ghallabi, Fahmi & Souissi, Bilel & Du, Anna Min & Ali, Shoaib, 2025. "ESG stock markets and clean energy prices prediction: Insights from advanced machine learning," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    8. Ballester, Laura & González-Urteaga, Ana & Martínez, Beatriz, 2025. "When is environmental performance most valued? International evidence from the CDS market," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    9. Liao, Qinghu & Erzurumlu, Yaman Omer & Gozgor, Giray, 2025. "Impact of market regulations on firm-specific esg performance: evidence from asian economies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Taha Almarayeh, 2026. "The Impact of ESG Ratings on Financial Performance: Evidence From Developing Economies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(3), pages 4345-4359, March.
    11. Rahat, Birjees & Nguyen, Pascal, 2023. "Does ESG performance impact credit portfolios? Evidence from lending to mineral resource firms in emerging markets," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    12. Ishwar Khatri & Phuong Bui & Khine Kyaw, 2025. "Corporate Environmental Performance and Stock Price Synchronicity: Examining Industry Sensitivity and Disclosure Regimes in Stakeholder‐Oriented Markets," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(8), pages 10098-10117, December.
    13. Jiyang Zhao & Xiaohong Wang & Xiangyu Luan, 2025. "Capital Market Opening and Corporate Innovation: Mediating Role of ESG Performance and Financing Constraints," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 4237-4254, October.
    14. Chiaramonte, Laura & Dreassi, Alberto & Girardone, Claudia & Piserà, Stefano, 2024. "Socially responsible banking: Weathering the Covid-19 storm," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    15. Changjun Zheng & Md. Abdul Mannan Khan & Mohammad Morshedur Rahman & Syed Moudud-Ul-Huq & Md. Shahinur Rahman, 2025. "ESG Performance and Financial Stability: A Bibliometric and Meta-Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(4), pages 21582440251, October.
    16. Ajithakumari Vijayappan Nair Biju & Sreelekshmi Geetha & Salu Prasad & Aghila Sasidharan & Ambili Jayachandran, 2025. "ESG‐Firm Performance Nexus: Evidence From an Emerging Economy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 3469-3496, March.

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