ESG practices and corporate financial performance : evidence from Borsa Istanbul

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices affect corporate financial performance (CFP) indicators at Turkish listed companies. The impact of ESG disclosures on the firm-level CFP of companies listed on the Borsa Istanbul Corporate Governance Index (XKURY) over the period 2007-2017 is investigated using the corporate governance principles of the Capital Markets Board and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) environmental indicators. The contribution of this study is that it explores the influence of twenty independent ESG variables, comprising company disclosures, on CFP in an emerging market. The results of the study reveal a negative effect of environmental disclosures on CFP. Stakeholder involvement in management contributes to operational efficiency in the social dimension of ESG. Provisions related to shareholder rights and the board of directors has a positive impact on CFP in the governance dimension.