Do Sustainability Finance Regulations Improve Bank Profitability? Evidence From Indonesian KBMI 2 Banks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58777/rfb.v4i2.657Keywords:
POJK No. 51/POJK.03/2017, Sustainable Finance, KBMI 2 Banks, Return on Assets, Panel Data RegressionAbstract
Previous studies have mainly examined the link between voluntary sustainability reporting and corporate financial performance, offering limited evidence on mandatory sustainable finance regulations, especially among Indonesian KBMI 2 Banks. This study addresses this gap by assessing the effect of Financial Services Authority Regulation (POJK) No. 51/POJK.03/2017 on KBMI 2 Banks’ financial performance using panel data. It applies a quantitative explanatory design to data from eight KBMI 2 Banks during 2016–2025. Return on Assets (ROA) measures profitability, while a policy dummy captures implementation of POJK No. 51/POJK.03/2017. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non-Performing Loans (NPL), and the Operating Expenses-to-Operating Income Ratio (BOPO) are control variables. Panel regression results show that, before the regulation, CAR positively affected ROA and BOPO had a significant negative effect. After implementation, only BOPO remained significant; CAR, NPL, and the policy dummy were insignificant. Thus, the regulation has not directly improved short-term profitability. This study provides an early policy evaluation focused on KBMI 2 Banks, confirms operational efficiency as the main profitability driver, and offers insights for banks and regulators developing more effective sustainable-finance implementation strategies. It also underscores the need for longer implementation periods and supportive supervisory measures across Indonesia.
References
Alkhazali, O., Helmi, M. H., Mirzaei, A., & Saad, M. (2024). The impact of capital on bank profitability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Global Finance Journal, 62, 100994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfj.2024.100994
Ananda, S., Armeliza, D., & Handarini, D. (2025). Factors Affecting Profitability of Conventional Commercial Banks in Indonesia 2020–2024. Jurnal Ilmiah Wahana Akuntansi, 20(2), 171–192. https://doi.org/10.21009/wahana.20.0213
Anis, I., Gani, L., Fauzi, H., Hermawan, A. A., & Adhariani, D. (2023). The sustainability awareness of banking institutions in Indonesia: Its implication on profitability through the mediating role of operational efficiency. Asian Journal of Accounting Research, 8(4), 356–372. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJAR-06-2022-0179
Azmi, W., Hassan, M. K., Houston, R., & Karim, M. S. (2021). ESG activities and banking performance: International evidence from emerging economies. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 70, 101277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2020.101277
Batae, O. M., Dragomir, V. D., & Feleaga, L. (2021). The relationship between environmental, social, and financial performance in the banking sector: A European study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 290, 125791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.125791
Belen Ruiz, Juan A. Garcia (2021). Analyzing the relationship between CSR and reputation in the banking sector. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 61, 102552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.10255
Buallay, A. (2019). Between cost and value: Investigating the effects of sustainability reporting on a firm's performance. Journal of Applied Accounting Research, 20(4), 481–496. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAAR-12-2017-0137
Das, S. K., & Uppal, K. (2021). NPAs and profitability in Indian banks: An empirical analysis. Future Business Journal, 7(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-021-00096-3
Eng, L. L., Fikru, M., & Vichitsarawong, T. (2022). Comparing the informativeness of sustainability disclosures versus ESG disclosure ratings. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 13(2), 494–518. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-03-2021-0095
Fuadi, I., Yusrianti, H., & Ferina, I. S. (2026). Effect of Sustainability Reporting Disclosure on Financial Performance With NPL as Moderator (2020–2024). Indonesian Interdisciplinary Journal of Sharia Economics, 9(1), 2910–2923. https://doi.org/10.31538/iijse.v9i1.9134
García Sánchez, I. M., Araujo Bernardo, C. A. (2020). What color is the corporate social responsibility report? Structural visual rhetoric, impression management strategies, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(2), 1117–1142. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1869
Gutierrez-Ponce, H., & Wibowo, S. A. (2024). Do sustainability practices contribute to the financial performance of banks? An analysis of banks in Southeast Asia. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 31(2), 1418–1432. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2641
Haryanto, T., & Sitorus, R. R. (2025). The Effects of LAR, LDR, NPL, CAR, and MRR on the Profitability of Banks Listed on the IDX with BOPO as a Control Variable. Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting, 6(5), 4446–4457. https://doi.org/10.38035/dijefa.v6i5.5286
Hummel, K., Laun, U., & Krauss, A. (2021). Management of environmental and social risks and topics in the banking sector – An empirical investigation. The British Accounting Review, 53(1), 100921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2020.100921
Ibrahim El-Sayed Ebaid (2023). Nexus between sustainability reporting and corporate financial performance: Evidence from an emerging market. International Journal of Law and Management, 65(2), 152–171. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-03-2022-0073
Jacoub, Y., Hakim, D. B., Hartoyo, S., & Santosa, P. W. (2020a). Does Acquisition Improve Indonesian Bank Financial Performance? International Journal of Business and Applied Social Science, 6(3), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.33642/ijbass.v6n3p5
Jacoub, Y., Hakim, D. B., Hartoyo, S., & Santosa, P. W. (2020b). Karakteristik Bank Target Akuisisi Asing (Cross-Border) dan Domestik pada Perbankan Indonesia. MIX Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, 10(2), 224. https://doi.org/10.22441/mix.2020.v10i2.006
Janice, L., & Handoko, J. (2026). The Influence of Sustainability Reporting and Risk Management on the Profitability of Publicly Listed Banks. Jurnal Akuntansi, 14(2), 184–196. https://doi.org/10.46806/ja.v14i2.1495
Kim, J., & Yang, W. (2026). ESG performance in the regulatory transformation era: A systematic thematic review (2020–2024). Frontiers in Sustainability, 6, 1680398. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2025.1680398
Khairunnisa, I., Lidyah, R., & Anwar, D. (2024). The Effect of CAR and NPF on the Profitability of Islamic Commercial Banks in Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmra/v7-i07-55
Kofi Mintah Oware, & Thomas Adomah Worae (2023). Sustainability (disclosure and report format) and firm performance in India: Effects of mandatory CSR reporting. Cogent Business & Management, 10(1), 2170075. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2170075
Mario La Torre, Sabrina Leo, Ida Claudia Panetta (2021). Banks and environmental, social and governance drivers: Follow the market or the authorities?, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management Journal, https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.213
Meidi, L., & Tannia. (2025). Factors Influencing Bank Profitability: A Study of Indonesian Commercial Banks. Petra International Journal of Business Studies, 8(1), 88–97. https://doi.org/10.9744/petraijbs.8.1.88-97
Neitzert & Petras (2022). Corporate Social Responsibility and Bank Risk, Journal of Business Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-021-01069-2
Panjaitan, R., Lingga, G. R., Liana, T. M. M., Octoyuda, E., & Silalahi, A. D. K. (2026). When Sustainability Disclosure Backfires: ESG, Profitability, and Stock Prices in Indonesian State-Owned Banks. Ilomata International Journal of Management, 7(2), 693–700. https://doi.org/10.61194/ijjm.v7i2.2166
Renata, M., Widianingsih, L. P., & Kohardinata, C. (2024). Banking on Transparency: The Role of Stakeholders' Pressure in Indonesian Sustainability Reporting. Ilomata International Journal of Tax and Accounting. https://doi.org/10.61194/ijtc.v5i4.1372
Santosa, P. W. (2020). The moderating role of firm size on financial charactersitics and Islamic firm value at Indonesian equity market. Business: Theory and Practice, 21(1), 391–401. https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2020.12197
Santosa, P. W., Aprilia, O., & Tambunan, M. E. (2020). The Intervening Effect of the Dividend Policy on Financial Performance and Firm Value in Large Indonesian Firms. International Journal of Financial Research, 11(4), 408–420. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijfr.v11n4p408
Savira Ananda, Dian Armeliza, Dwi Handarini (2024). Factors Affecting Profitability of Conventional Commercial Banks in Indonesia 2020–2024. Jurnal Ilmiah Wahana Akuntasi Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Negeri Jakarta. https://doi.org/10.21009/wahana.20.0213
Sebastiao, A.M., Tavares, M.C., & Azevedo, G. (2024). Evolution and Challenges of Sustainability Reporting in the Banking Sector: A Systematic Literature Review. Administrative Sciences, 14(12), 333. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14120333
Setiawan, I., Zulbetti, R., & Perwito. (2024). The Indonesian Commercial Banks' Profitability and Credit Risk. Jurnal Ilmu Keuangan dan Perbankan, 14(1), 41-54. https://doi.org/10.34010/jika.v14i1.14135
Siregar, D. K., Oktavia, R., & Jefri, U. (2025). Green Banking, Operational Cost Efficiency (BOPO), and Profitability: Empirical Evidence from Banks Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange 2020–2024. Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis Indonesia, https://doi.org/10.37673/jebi.v10i2.6980
Temmy Haryanto, Riris Rotua Sitorus (2025). The Effects of LAR, LDR, NPL, CAR, and MRR on the Profitability of Banks Listed on the IDX with Bopo as a Control Variable. Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting. https://doi.org/10.38035/dijefa.v6i5.5286
Valdiansyah, R. H., Agustina, J., & Iswahyudi, A. (2025). The Role of Sustainable Competitive Advantage on Sustainable Finance and Bank Profitability. Journal of Contemporary Accounting. https://doi.org/10.20885/jca.vol6.iss2.art2
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yutrizal Jacoub, Median Wilestari

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This work is licensed under a CC Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0









