ESG Reporting in the Digital Era: Unveiling Public Sentiment and Engagement on YouTube

Dmitry Erokhin ()
Additional contact information
Dmitry Erokhin: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-24

Abstract: This study examines how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting is communicated and perceived on YouTube. A dataset of 553 relevant videos and 5060 user comments was extracted on 2 April 2025 ranging between 2014 and 2025, and sentiment, topic, and stance analyses were applied to both transcripts and comments. The majority of video content strongly endorsed ESG reporting, emphasizing themes such as transparency, regulatory compliance, and financial performance. In contrast, viewer comments revealed diverse stances, including skepticism about methodological inconsistencies, accusations of greenwashing, and concerns over politicization. Notably, statistical analysis showed minimal correlation between video sentiment and audience sentiment, suggesting that user perceptions are shaped by factors beyond the tone of the videos themselves. These findings underscore the need for more rigorous ESG frameworks, enhanced standardization, and proactive stakeholder engagement strategies. The study highlights the value of online platforms for capturing stakeholder feedback in real time, offering practical insights for organizations and policymakers seeking to strengthen ESG disclosure and communication.

Keywords: ESG reporting; YouTube; sentiment analysis; social media; greenwashing; corporate transparency; non-financial disclosures; digital communication; public perception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/7039/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/7039/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:7039-:d:1716522

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().