Cultural shifts in banking: how to embed ESG values into corporate governance? How to organize stakeholder engagement in bank’s ESG and CSRD strategies?

Details

Supervisors

Olieslagers, Ruben

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enWith an emphasis on stakeholder engagement and compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), this thesis examines how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are embedded into corporate governance in the banking sector. It highlights the need for banks to institutionalize ESG values in response to the growing regulatory pressures and societal expectations for sustainable practices. Using a qualitative approach, this study combines CSRD report analysis with semi-structured interviews conducted with banking professionals to assess how these values are translated into internal governance practices. Drawing on Institutional Theory, Stakeholder Theory and Organizational Culture Models, the findings contribute to the broader debate on sustainable finance by providing banks with practical insights to enhance governance structures and increase stakeholder involvement.