Enhancing Investment Attractiveness through ESG Ratings: A Sustainable Development Perspective in the Banking, Electric Utilities and IPP Industries

Abstract

Objective: Main goal of the research is toto assess the level of influence of the ESG rating on the investment attractiveness of companies. The object of the study is the companies for which the ESG rating is calculated (the oil and gas, metallurgical, electric power and banking industries are observed). The hypothesis is that the management dealing with issues related to ESG should take into account the significance of the impact of the ESG rating on the investment attractiveness of companies, if the significance is proven. Method: The methodological part of this research is formed by an econometric estimation of regressions based on panel data models. Results: There were performed econometric assessment of the impact of the ESG rating on the investment attractiveness of companies. The results of econometric modeling are presented in the list of recommendations for ESG managers. In addition, results of the research proves the significance of COVID-19 pandemic impact on the investment attractiveness of the oil and gas companies. Conclusion: The novelty of the results is in the individual econometric estimation of companies’ ESG-rating impact on the investment attractiveness based on the unique set of companies, which present four different industries. Based on the sample of companies from eleven countries, for which ESG scores for the period from 2016 to 2020 were calculated, the statistical significance of ESG-factors, concerning the analysis of its impact on the indicators of investment attractiveness (ROI, EPS), was identified.