Background: The relevance of sustainability has increased drastically during the recent years which has brought new regulations and guidelines by Swedish banks as well as governments. Therefore, the implementation of ESG has become more important to evolve the sustainable transition. One of the reasons for the implementation is because it has been demonstrated to bring financial benefits for both banks and companies. Research Problem: Despite the increasing focus on the implementation of ESG, the existing research is mostly focused on companies and how it affects their performance. There was a lack of research regarding how Swedish banks integrate ESG in their corporate credit valuation. Which enlightens a gap in the research that requires additional focus. Research Purpose: This study aims to investigate Swedish banks’ ESG considerations in credit valuation for corporate loans. Research Questions: - How do Swedish banks integrate environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) into their credit valuation process for corporate lending? - How does ESG affect credit granting and cost of debt? Research Method: This study uses a descriptive research design with exploratory insights to examine ESG integration in Swedish banks and its effect on credit granting and cost of debt. Qualitative analysis through semi-structured interviews with an abductive approach is utilized to delve into the subject. Conclusion: The findings show the integration of ESG factors within the credit valuation process of Swedish banks. Stakeholder engagement and regulatory compliance work as major drivers for the implementation of ESG. Considerations regarding ESG are found to be consistently present in credit valuation, as primary or secondary determinants, evidenced by exclusion lists and risk analyses. Moreover, relationship lending contributes to banks actively guiding corporations towards sustainability. While a direct link between ESG performance and cost of debt is not clear, green loans offer reduced spreads for sustainable investments. The indirect relation between ESG performance and firm performance can foster reduced spreads. Overall, Swedish banks apply ESG principles widely alongside traditional credit assessment techniques.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hj-64362 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Pettersson, Ludwig, Bäck, Melker |
| Publisher | Jönköping University, Internationella Handelshögskolan |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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