Trends and research networks in greening business: A bibliometric analysis

Business development contributes to the sustainable economic development of the country while also leading to significant environmental changes at the global level. The greening of businesses is becoming a priority area of strategic management for companies, considering the growing environmental challenges and the need to move toward sustainable business models. This study aims to identify the historical, evolutionary, spatial, and conceptually scientific landscape of greening businesses through bibliometric analysis. The study analyzed 660 sources in the Scopus database from 1992 to 2024. The use of VOS Viewer software and the Scopus analysis tool has shown that greening business research has been of interest among many authors and is a growing trend. The rapid growth of publications from 2019 to 2024 shows its significance to many government agencies, business people, investors, and researchers. The growing number of scientific studies in economics, management, and ecology indicates a growing scientific focus on the problems of greening businesses. The United States occupies a leading position in research volume, while the United Kingdom and China emphasize their significant contribution to developing this concept. A comprehensive analysis of scientific publications identified seven key clusters reflecting the directions of modernization of environmental business. These include green technologies, green finance, and an economy focused on the environmental transformation of businesses. The dynamics of publication activity in these fields of science confirm the relevance of the concept of eco-friendly business and its significant potential for further scientific research and practical implementation. Acknowledgments This study is supported by the Committee of Science Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan [Grant BR21882122], Sustainable development of natural-industry and socio-economic systems in the West Kazakhstan region in the context of green growth: comprehensive analysis, concept, forecast assessments, and scenarios.