Recent findings provide evidence that companies highly rated in terms of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) score report higher excess returns and lower volatility, this being supported by the assumption that ESG factors are considered, by market agents, as a good proxy for firms’ financial soundness. The aim of this paper is to investigate how ESG components affect stock returns. We use a two-step methodology to analyze the performance of companies included in the Eurostoxx50 index over the 2010–2018 period according to their ESG score. To classify companies in terms of ESG commitments, we combine several ESG indicators (quantitative ratings, scorings and qualitative-opinions) collected on a monthly basis. Our results do not support previous evidence; the Eurostoxx50 companies’ performance does not seem to be affected by their efforts in terms of ESG commitments.

This paper goes beyond the relationship between a bank ESG performance (ESGP) and corporate financial performance (CFP). Here, the link between ESG factors and financial benchmarks is analysed to verify whether banks may find in the market reaction sufficient stimuli (higher CFP) to adopt ESG conduct spontaneously. Using panel estimation methods on European banks listed in STOXX Europe 600, between 2008 and 2019, this paper tests the relationship between ESGP and CFP considering different dimensions of financial performance at once, both accounted‐based (ROA and ROE) and market‐based (Capitalisation to Book Value, Tobin's Q). Besides, we employ VBM (EVA Spread) not previously considered. The main findings support the current approach of banking authorities, focusing on bank ESG risks, more than ESG opportunities, in order to “force” banks into adopting a new ESG business model, at this early stage of transition to sustainability.

There are relevant pushes from Authorities and Supervisors on Financial Intermediaries’ disclosure of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting (mandatory from 2022). However, currently, there is no standardised reporting framework to ensure the information is readable, scalable and comparable, likely due to the novelty of these reporting requirements. The reporting practices used to date have made the ESG reporting process glaringly obvious, uneven, inconsistent, and difficult to compare data disclosures due to the variety of ESG rating models in the market, and the different interpretive approaches used by businesses. An impetus to overcome these critical issues is Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs). DLTs can process and package ESG reports streamlined by creating agile, transparent, and automated data collection processes. This paper aims to show how the challenges of mandatory ESG reporting can be solved by leveraging DLTs. We use a pilot use case that applies DLTs to ESG reporting for Asset Management Firms to demonstrate the applicability, benefits, and challenges of using this technology. We highlight the challenges faced by the financial industry when applying DLT and guide future research, since, to our knowledge, no studies are investigating the interlinkages between DLT and mandatory ESG reporting.

This paper offers a systematic literature review of age-related disparities in the adoption of digital payment systems, a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly relevant as financial transactions become predominantly digital. Using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol, 66 scholarly contributions published between 2014 and 2024 are examined and categorised into four thematic clusters: demographic determinants, behavioural drivers, structural barriers linked to the grey digital divide, and emerging insights from neurofinance. The review highlights a multifactorial set of barriers that limit older adults’ engagement with digital payments, including usability challenges, cognitive and physical limitations, digital skill gaps, and perceived security risks. These obstacles are further amplified by structural inequalities such as socio-economic status, geographic location, and infrastructural constraints. While digital payments are often presented as tools of inclusion, the findings underscore the risk of exclusion for ageing populations without tailored design and policy interventions. The review also identifies areas for further research, particularly at the intersection of ageing, cognitive function, and human–technology interaction, proposing a research agenda that supports more inclusive and age-responsive financial innovation.