Evaluating the impact of islamic banking sustainability practices on financial performance

Abstract

This research aims to examine the sustainability practices of Islamic banking, their alignment with SDGs, and their effects on financial performance in GCC, Malaysian, and Indonesian contexts where these three markets occupy an important place in the Islamic finance business. Based on stakeholder engagement, legitimacy, good management, and beyond triple bottom line theories, the study uses a qualitative approach both through focused content analyses of firms’ financial & sustainability reports to develop and measure ICSP disclosure. For a quantitative approach the use of regression analysis of the panel data, the results demonstrate that ICSP has a significant and positive association with financial performance, as measured by ROE and ROA; and it enhances economic/environmental aspects of ICSP. However, the analysis of the social component reveals an insignificant value, which presupposes the improvement of communications and specific social activities. In terms of the study’s practical implications, this research enriches the conversation on sustainability and finance with findings that could be useful for tactical planning from the perspective of policymakers, regulators, and practitioners in the Islamic finance sector while also showing how the integration of Islamic banking practices and the implementation of sustainability practices can work in harmony for both financial sustainability and the generation of positive social and environmental impact.