The Environmental, Social, and Governance Approach in Cooperatives: A Systematic Literature Review

Cooperatives face a growing need to assess not only their economic and financial performance, but also their performance in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions, contributing to a more sustainable society and adding value to cooperatives and their members. However, the academic literature dedicated to these aspects specifically in the context of cooperatives remains limited. To close this gap, this paper presents a systematic review of the literature on ESG approaches in different branches of cooperativism, highlighting research gaps and areas for future development. For the systematic review, the steps suggested by the ProKnow-C protocol were followed, and the Parsifal and VosViewer online platforms were used to manage bibliometric references. Studies published between 2013 and 2023 were compiled, resulting in 37 selected papers. The analysis included indicators, methods and a reflection on the promotion of ESG-related issues in the cooperative context. As a core result, an integrative framework is presented, indicating relevant aspects presented in the articles that were analyzed. The results of this study not only provide reflections for researchers and academics, but also guidance for managers and leaders of cooperatives seeking to improve their ESG practices.