Planetary and Social Boundaries in European Banking: Comparative Content Analysis of Sustainability Reports from Western and Central-Eastern Europe (2017–2024)

Earth's ecosystems face increased pressure from human economic activities, which has led businesses to adopt various sustainability principles in their operational frameworks and disclosure systems. This research examines the degree to which major Western and Central-Eastern European banks include the planetary and social boundaries defined by Rockström et al. (2009) and Raworth (2012) within their sustainability disclosure reports. The content analysis of 134 official sustainability reports from leading banks in Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic, between 2017 and 2024, reveals selective sustainability reporting practices. Banks throughout both regions maintained continuous focus on climate change since the European Union introduced its Green Deal in 2019. However, other planetary boundaries such as biodiversity loss, freshwater use and land-system change received minimal attention. Social boundaries, including education, employment, gender equality, income and healthcare received significant attention from banks because of the socio-economic disruptions, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Western European banks demonstrated stronger environmental regulatory compliance, while Central-Eastern European banks focused on developing their socio-economic aspects. The study demonstrates that European banking sector sustainability reporting is primarily compliant rather than transformational, underscoring a need for enhanced regulatory frameworks and strategic sustainability integration to achieve systemic change.