The Impact of Green Finance Strategies on Managing Climate Change Risks: An Applied Study of a Sample of Iraqi Private Commercial Banks

Abstract

This research aims to test the relationship and impact between green finance strategies (environmental, social, economic, governance, and compliance) and the management of climate change risks (physical, liability, and transition). The study adopted the descriptive-analytical approach to achieve its objectives. It analyzed the reality of three private Iraqi banks: the National Bank of Iraq, the International Development Bank, and the Bank of Baghdad. To collect the necessary data, a field questionnaire was distributed to a sample consisting of managers, department heads, employees, and others working in private banks in Iraq. A total of 150 questionnaires were distributed, 50 for each bank, and 124 valid responses were retrieved for statistical analysis. The researcher used the SPSS program to analyze the statistical data, test the hypotheses, and measure the relationships between the variables. The study also referred to the Egyptian experience as a model for implementing green finance strategies and addressing climate change. The research focused on two main hypotheses: the first assumes a significant correlation between green finance strategies and climate change risks across the various dimensions such as environmental, social, economic, governance, and compliance. The second hypothesis assumes that green finance strategies have a statistically significant impact on the management of climate change risks at both the main and sub-variable levels. The importance of the research lies in introducing and deepening the understanding of green finance and climate change issues, and in analyzing the extent to which green finance contributes to addressing climate-related risks. The results of the analysis confirmed the validity of all hypotheses, revealing statistically significant relationships between the strategies (environmental, social, economic, governance) and the three types of climate risks (physical, liability, and transition), which confirms the growing awareness of the importance of green finance.