Sustainability Reporting in the Banking Sector - Evidence from the socialist orientated market of Vietnam

During the past 30 years, the Vietnamese economy has been transitioning from a centrally planned system to a socialist-oriented market. As the current challenge is to maintain strong economic growth whilst minimising social and environmental impacts, the government legislated a Green Bank development scheme to help improve banks' sustainability practises and reporting to confirm their contribution to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. In 2019, the government also relaunched the Corporate Sustainability Index national guidelines for measuring the social and environmental sustainability of Vietnamese corporations. This research investigates the reporting practices of two Vietnamese state-owned banks and two privately owned banks to determine how they contribute to achievement of the sustainable development goals.