Financial Pathways to Sustainability—The Effects of Financial Inclusion, Development, and Innovation on Shaping ESG Readiness in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Yongsheng Guo () and Mirza Muhammad Naseer
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Yongsheng Guo: International Business School, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, UK
Mirza Muhammad Naseer: International Business School, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, UK

IJFS, 2025, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: This study investigates the impacts of financial inclusion, development, and technological innovation on ESG readiness across low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries from 2004 to 2020. Grounded in an augmented environmental Kuznets curve framework, financial intermediation, and financial literacy theories, the analysis employs a panel data approach. Results from panel and quantile regressions reveal that financial inclusion and financial development positively influence ESG readiness, with stronger effects in less financially developed countries. However, in upper-middle-income countries, excessive credit may increase energy-intensive consumption, moderating sustainability gains. Financial inclusion negatively affects ESG readiness at lower quantiles in low-innovation contexts but enhances it at higher quantiles in high-innovation settings. Financial development consistently supports ESG readiness, which is amplified by technological innovation. Effects are stronger in less financially developed countries, moderated by energy-intensive consumption in upper-middle-income economies. The findings underscore the critical role of technological infrastructure in maximising the sustainability benefits of financial systems, advocating for technology-supported financial inclusion and green financing. This study enriches the sustainable development literature and informs policies for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Keywords: financial inclusion; financial development; sustainable development; ESG readiness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F2 F3 F41 F42 G1 G2 G3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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