ESG practices maturity in Ukraine’s largest banks: Evaluation framework and insight

Type of the article: Research Article Abstract Assessing the ESG readiness of the Ukrainian banking sector is important in the context of growing global attention to sustainable finance, Ukraine’s aspiration to align with EU regulations, and overcoming war consequences. The study examines the ESG practices of Ukraine’s largest banks and their disclosure, providing a framework for assessing their ESG commitment and maturity. The study aims to identify the level of ESG practices development, including their disclosure, in Ukraine’s largest banks. The paper suggest that this ESG maturity scoring approach may be relevant for emerging sustainability markets. The scoring methodology comprises two sub-indices: the first evaluates ESG information disclosure through content analysis of official websites, while the second uses frequency analysis to evaluate ESG-related terminology in banks’ annual reports. The results show that ESG practices of the largest banks in Ukraine and their integration into corporate reporting are on the preparatory stage, with most banks exhibiting a low or moderate level of ESG maturity. Foreign-owned and state-owned banks demonstrate better results. There is no interconnectedness between banks’ asset size and ESG maturity. The paper highlights the significance of regulatory support in accelerating ESG integration within Ukraine’s banking sector. The proposed framework can serve as a diagnostic tool for regulators, investors, and bank managers to monitor progress, benchmark practices, and guide strategic alignment with EU sustainability requirements. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of how ESG principles can be applied in uncertain financial ecosystems, offering insights for other developing or conflict-affected countries. AcknowledgmentsThe article was prepared within the framework of the state-funded research topic Financial’ ecosystem transformation in the post-war recovery of Ukraine on the basis of resilience and sustainable development’ (state registration number 0125U000541) performed at Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman.