SUSTAINABLE FINANCING AS A FACTOR INFLUENCING ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION: EXISTING CHALLENGES AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

This study underscores the slow adoption of eco-friendly practices, particularly in high-emission sectors ("brown" businesses), and emphasizes the role of sustainable financing in implementation of environmentally sustainable business practices, with a particular interest in such types of corporate financing as sustainability-linked loans and a relatively new type of financing provided to companies with core business falling under eligible green criteria (loans for green businesses). The purpose was to identify existing challenges preventing promotion of these two types of sustainable financing and borrowers’ sustainable transformation, and propose potential solutions addressing these challenges. The analysis was performed based on a vast literature review. The study revealed the existence of such challenges as borrowers’ profit-driven motives, lack in regulatory transparency, concerns of financial institutions about their profitability and risk of greenwashing, and insufficient governmental support. To address these challenges, regulatory measures are recommended to incentivize financial institutions to offer reduced interest rates on loans for green business and sustainability-linked loans, with governments compensating such losses through imposing higher taxes on “brown” businesses. The study also proposes a potential action plan on amending the regulatory framework with the main focus on the need to develop respective changes with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders. It also addresses the need of establishing mandatory criteria for recognizing businesses as green to qualify for green business loans, and obligatory KPIs for each industry outlining clear targets for improving a company's sustainability profile to be eligible for sustainability-linked loans. These obligatory criteria and KPIs may be adjusted by financial institutions depending on aspects being material for the borrower. The borrower’s compliance with criteria set for green business loans should be regularly reported and verified by an expert company, similarly to the existing rules for sustainability-linked loans. Further, the study proposes incorporating a regulatory body to oversee compliance of financial institutions with these regulations and introducing penalties for their violations, and performing monitoring and adaptation of a regulatory framework, if necessary. The suggested amendments, being subject to a comprehensive feasibility study, are intended to promote the considered types of sustainable financing and boost transit to eco-friendly business practices.