Environmental, Social, and Governance Risk Research Trend in Scholarly Publications: A Bibliometric Perspective

Abstract

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risks have become a significant focus in academic research, especially in economics and sustainability. This study analyzes and maps scientific publications on ESG risks from a bibliometric perspective to identify research trends, productive contributors, collaboration networks, and current research focus areas. This study uses the Scopus database for 2020–2024 and utilizes the VOSviewer visualization tool. The findings indicate a substantial increase in publications regarding ESG risk in recent years. The contributions of researchers worldwide represent interests that cross geographical boundaries and provide an overview of global challenges. Mapping ESG risk using network visualization results in two groups of issues. The red cluster primarily focuses on regulation, risk management, and compliance. The green cluster emphasizes the practical implementation and influence of ESG on the company's performance. These findings offer enhanced insight into research trends and gaps concerning environmental and social risks and strategies to achieve sustainable ESG.