Inclusion of ESG Factors in Investments and Value Addition: A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship

Abstract

The research explores the impact of ESG factors on investments by conducting a global study considering 100 academic papers dealing with the interlinkage between ESG factors and financial performance. The papers are selected using Cochrane methodology across different geographical domains over a time period of 1990–2015 and analyzed using a meta-analytic approach. The idea was not only to assess the relationship between sustainability and financial performance but also to decipher the impact of different control variables on the relationship. The results emphasize the positive impact of ESG factors on financial performance.