Blockchain Implementation in Enhancing ESG Reporting Transparency: A Systematic Literature Review Focusing on E-S-G Dimensional Imbalance and Developing Country Contexts

Abstract

ESG reporting has become a strategic instrument for assessing corporate sustainability, yet challenges of data reliability, manipulation, and verification persist, especially in developing countries. Blockchain technology, with its immutability, decentralization, and transparency, offers a potential solution. This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) applies the PRISMA 2020 protocol to Scopus literature, narrowing 74 articles to 11 final studies. Two novelty contributions emerge: (1) an explicit analysis of whether literature attention is proportionally distributed across Environmental (E), Social (S), and Governance (G) dimensions; and (2) an assessment of proposed solutions' relevance for developing country contexts. Findings confirm a clear imbalance, with E and G dominating while S remains nearly absent. Permissioned blockchain with smart contracts is the most proposed mechanism, while oracle problems, scalability, and costs are primary challenges.