Green money, grey result: does green finance matters?

The influence of green financing on firm value has garnered significant interest, particularly in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By adopting environmentally and socially responsible practices, firms can enhance their reputation and attract investors and customers who prioritize sustainability. This study examines whether green finance can affect ESG score by using data from public listed companies in ASEAN, providing evidence on how it increased firm value particularly from non-financial perspectives. The study compared firms with green financing initiatives to those without, using an independent samples t-test. It also observed the delayed effects of green financing issuance as the performance may take time to be materialized by comparing ESG score at issuance year and two years later, using a paired samples t-test which revealed a significant difference on E score. However, regression analysis findings revealed an insignificant effect of green financing on firms’ ESG scores suggesting that the effect of green financing on ESG scores may be less substantial than expected. Nevertheless, the findings of this study are important for sustainability focused investors in risk management and portfolio optimization.