ESG Standards in China: Bibliometric Analysis, Development Status Research, and Future Research Directions

Abstract

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards have received widespread attention in the quest for sustainable development. However, a comprehensive understanding of the current status of ESG standards, particularly in the context of China, remains a scientific gap. This study bridges this gap by adopting a bibliometric analysis to comprehensively analyze the current status of ESG standards. Based on an analysis of 213 articles involving ESG standards in the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2015 to 2024, this study identified the global distribution of ESG standards organizations, research hotspots, trends, and cutting-edge status of ESG standards research. It was found that the research on ESG standards shows a growing trend: the research hotspots mainly focus on the areas of performance, rating, investment, and sustainability. Crucially, this study offers novel insights into the current development status of ESG standards in China, emphasizing the significant roles of the government’s promotion of ESG standard formulation and regulation, corporate voluntary compliance, and academic research and communication. Future research directions on ESG standards are proposed and imply that the implementation of ESG standards in China should be beneficial to sustainable development.