Green Finance Awareness, Risk-Taking, and Sustainable Investment Among Retail Investors in Indonesia: Does Gender Matter?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21512/bbr.v17i3.15065Keywords:
green finance awareness, risk taking, sustainable investment, retail investors, genderAbstract
Indonesia has introduced green sukuk and sustainable finance regulations, but its green finance market remains less developed than those of countries such as China, Germany, and the United States. While prior studies have largely focused on financial literacy and investment intention, they have paid limited attention to the behavioral mechanisms through which green finance awareness translates into investment decisions, particularly among retail investors in emerging markets. The research addresses this gap by examining how green finance awareness influences investor behavior through investment risk-taking and external influences, while also testing the moderating role of gender. A quantitative research design is employed using a survey of 198 active retail investors who utilize digital investment platforms. Data are analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that green finance awareness significantly enhances investors’ willingness to take investment risks and increases their susceptibility to external influences such as social norms, expert opinions, and market information. Both investment risk-taking and external influences positively affect sustainable investment decisions. However, gender does not significantly moderate the relationship between green finance awareness and investment risk-taking, suggesting that male and female investors respond similarly to green finance products. These findings contribute to the literature by providing an integrated behavioral perspective on sustainable investment decisions in the context of retail investors in Indonesia. The results offer practical insights for policymakers and financial institutions to design strategies that enhance retail participation in green finance and support the growth of Indonesia’s sustainable investment market.
References
Aboalsamh, H. M., Khrais, L. T., & Albahussain, S. A. (2023). Pioneering perception of green fintech in promoting sustainable digital services application within smart cities. Sustainability, 15(14), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411440
Adhiyogo, I., Dalimunthe, Z., Triono, R. A., & Arif, H. (2022). The intention of individual investors to invest in green bonds in Indonesia. Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal, 14(3S), 513–522.
Ahmad, H., Yaqub, M., & Lee, S. H. (2024). Environmental-, social-, and governance-related factors for business investment and sustainability: a scientometric review of global trends. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26, 2965–2987. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-02921-x
Al Amin, M., Ahad Mia, M. A., Bala, T., Iqbal, M. M., & Alam, M. S. (2023). Green finance continuance behavior: The role of satisfaction, social supports, environmental consciousness, green bank marketing initiatives and psychological reactance. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 34(5), 1269–1294. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-09-2022-0257
Bhutta, U. S., Tariq, A., Farrukh, M., Raza, A., & Iqbal, M. K. (2022). Green bonds for sustainable development: Review of literature on development and impact of green bonds. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 175.
Breitenstein, M., Nguyen, D. K., & Walther, T. (2021). Environmental hazards and risk management in the financial sector: A systematic literature review. Journal of Economic Surveys, 35(2), 512–538. https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12411
Cendekiawan, M., & Firmansyah, A. (2024). Pengembangan green bonds di Indonesia: Upaya pemerintah untuk mewujudkan keuangan berkelanjutan. Journal of Law, Administration, and Social Science, 4(1), 87–100. https://doi.org/10.54957/jolas.v4i1.714
Climate Bonds Initiative. (2025, May 31). Sustainable debt global state of the market 2024. https://www.climatebonds.net/data-insights/publications/global-state-market-2024
Faisal, Y. A., Gunawan, I., Cupian, Hayati, A., Apriliadi, A., & Fajri, M. (2023). Examining the purchase intentions of Indonesian investors for green sukuk. Sustainability, 15(9), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097430
Gáspár, S., Pataki, L., Barta, Á., Thalmeiner, G., & Zéman, Z. (2023). Consumer segmentation of green financial products based on sociodemographic characteristics. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 16(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm16020098
Gillan, S. L., Koch, A., & Starks, L. T. (2021). Firms and social responsibility: A review of ESG and CSR research in corporate finance. Journal of Corporate Finance, 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2021.101889
Hair, J. F., Jr., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using R. Springer.
Handayani, A., & Rokhim, R. (2023). A comparative study of financial performance between sustainable and conventional investment. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business, 4(2), 114–124. https://doi.org/10.24123/jeb.v4i2.5691
Hosen, M., Rahman, A. A., Yee, B. C. W., Arefin, S., & Gopinathan, S. (2026). Chapter 6 - Sustainable finance and behavioral choice: The role of risk perception in investment decisions aligned with the SDGs. In D. S. K. Ting & N. P. Awazi (Eds.), Tenable engineering for a sustainable future (pp. 151–171). Elsevier. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-40576-1.00012-3
IBCWE. (2023, December 24). Gender equality trends in attracting investors in Indonesia. https://Ibcwe.Id/Gender-Equality-Trends-in-Attracting-Investors-in-Indonesia/
INDEF. (2025, September 23). Sukuk negara sebagai game changer. https://indef.or.id/publikasi/sukuk-negara-sebagai-game-changer/
Ji, X., Zhang, Y., Mirza, N., Umar, M., & Rizvi, S. K. A. (2021). The impact of carbon neutrality on the investment performance: Evidence from the equity mutual funds in BRICS. Journal of Environmental Management, 297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113228
Jinru, L., Changbiao, Z., Ahmad, B., Irfan, M., & Nazir, R. (2022). How do green financing and green logistics affect the circular economy in the pandemic situation: Key mediating role of sustainable production. Economic Research–Ekonomska Istraživanja, 35(1), 3836–3856. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2021.2004437
Joshi, Y., & Rahman, Z. (2015). Factors affecting green purchase behaviour and future research directions. International Strategic Management Review, 3(1-2), 128–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ism.2015.04.001
Kasmad, Supatmin, Awaludin, T., & Syafrida, I. (2024). Community determination factors influence the interest in investing retail green sukuk: Sustainable investment as moderating variable. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference of Economics, Management, Accounting, and Business Digital (ICEMAB 2024) (pp. 158–166). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-614-7_21
Kim, S. S., Nugroho, V., & Handoko, L. (2024). Competitions among sub-financial sectors and growth of green bond markets in ASEAN plus three countries. Managerial Finance, 51(1), 166–184. https://doi.org/10.1108/MF-04-2024-0299
Kock, N. (2015). Common method bias in PLS-SEM: A full collinearity assessment approach. International Journal of E-Collaboration, 11(4), 1–10.
KSEI. (2024, December). Statistik pasar modal Indonesia. https://web.ksei.co.id/files/Statistik_Publik_Desember_2024_v3.pdf
Li, Q., Zhang, K., & Wang, L. (2022). Where’s the green bond premium? Evidence from China. Finance Research Letters, 48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2022.102950
Liaw, K. T. (2020). Survey of green bond pricing and investment performance. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13(9), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm13090193
Lin, X., Zhang, J., Yu, L., & Zhong, Q. (2024). Does macroprudential policy matter for corporate green innovation? The role of financing constraints and public environmental concerns. Economic Analysis and Policy, 82, 877–892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2024.04.018
Lone, F. A., Aggarwal, S., & Jain, S. (2026). Retail investors’ perception toward green bonds in advancing sustainability: Evidence from India. Asia-Pacific Financial Markets, 33, 119–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10690-024-09503-5
Maltais, A., & Nykvist, B. (2021). Understanding the role of green bonds in advancing sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2020.1724864
Monk, A., & Perkins, R. (2020). What explains the emergence and diffusion of green bonds? Energy Policy, 145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111641
Mudalige, H. M. N. K. (2023). Emerging new themes in green finance: A systematic literature review. Future Business Journal, 9, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-023-00287-0
Nurhayadi, Y., Wijiharjono, N., Al-Azizah, U. S., Johl, S. K., Shamim, A., & Kaur, S. (2021). Stock performance comparison between green innovation sharia companies and green innovation non-Sharia companies: Evidence from Indonesia Stock Exchange. In SHS Web of Conferences. EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202112405004
Otoritas Jasa Keuangan. (2017a). Peraturan Otoritas Jasa Keuangan nomor 51/POJK.03/2017 tentang penerapan keuangan berkelanjutan bagi lembaga jasa keuangan, emiten, dan perusahaan publik. https://www.ojk.go.id/sustainable-finance/id/peraturan/peraturan-ojk/Documents/SAL%20POJK%2051%20-%20keuangan%20berkelanjutan.pdf
Otoritas Jasa Keuangan. (2017b). Peraturan Otoritas Jasa Keuangan Nomor 60/POJK.04/2017 tentang penerbitan dan persyaratan efek bersifat utang berwawasan lingkungan (green bond). https://www.ojk.go.id/id/regulasi/Documents/Pages/Penerbitan-dan-Persyaratan-Efek-Bersifat-Utang-Berwawasan-Lingkungan-Green-Bond/SAL%20POJK%2060%20-%20Green%20Bond.pdf
Patil, Y., & Gokhale, R. (2023). Investing in the age of millennials and Gen Z: A comparative analysis. NLDIMSR Innovision Journal of Management Research, 6(2), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.31794/nldimsr.6.2.2022.15-28
Pham, L., & Nguyen, C. P. (2022). How do stock, oil, and economic policy uncertainty influence the green bond market? Finance Research Letters, 45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2021.102128
Prajapati, D., Paul, D., Malik, S., & Mishra, D. K. (2021). Understanding the preference of individual retail investors on green bond in India: An empirical study. Investment Management and Financial Innovations, 18(1), 177–189. https://doi.org/10.21511/imfi.18(1).2021.15
PwC Indonesia. (2023, February 1). Indonesia’s sustainable finance opportunities and G20 presidency achievements mapped out in new ESG intelligence report. https://www.pwc.com/id/en/media-centre/press-release/2023/english/indonesia-s-sustainable-finance-opportunities-and-g20-presidency-achievements-mapped-out-in-new-esg-intelligence-report.html
Rahardjo, J. C., & Atmaji. (2023). The effect of financial literacy on the investment decisions of investment application users. International Journal of Economics, Business and Management Research, 7(9), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2023.7901
Rathee, P., & Aggarwal, S. (2022). Understanding impact investment intention using the extended theory of planned behaviour. Global Business Review, 27(3), 631–649. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509221115001
Sabbar, S. D., Musa, H. A., Kadir, A. R., Nohong, M., Manan, A., Munizu, M., & Anwar, A. I. (2023). The role of green marketing and promotion of green energy bonds to reduce carbon emissions in Indonesia. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 13(5), 73–82. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.14695
Statista. (2023). Leading reasons for investing in the environment in Southeast Asia in 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1383119/sea-top-reasons-to-invest-in-the-environment/
Tolliver, C., Keeley, A. R., & Managi, S. (2019). Green bonds for the Paris Agreement and sustainable development goals. Environmental Research Letters, 14(6), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab1118
Trong Nguyen, L., Nguyen, T. H., Ngoc Nguyen, H., Dai Nguyen, L., Thi Thu Nguyen, D., & Duy Le, L. (2023). Determinants of green consumer behavior: A case study from Vietnam. Cogent Business & Management, 10(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2197673
Umar, M., Ji, X., Mirza, N., & Naqvi, B. (2021). Carbon neutrality, bank lending, and credit risk: Evidence from the Eurozone. Journal of Environmental Management, 296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113156
Volz, U., Böhnke, J., Eidt, V., Knierim, L., Richert, K., & Roeber, G. M. (2015). Empirical analysis of supply of and demand for green finance in Indonesia. In U. Volz, J. Böhnke, V. Eidt, L. Knierim, K. Richert, & G. M. Roeber (Eds.), Financing the green transformation: How to make green finance work in Indonesia (pp. 56–94). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137486127_4
Wahyuningsih, M., Utami, W., Endri, & Kurniasih, A. (2024). Development of green bonds in Indonesia. International Journal of Indonesian Business Review, 3(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.54099/ijibr.v3i1.876
Wang, J., & Ma, Y. (2022). How does green finance affect CO2 emissions? Heterogeneous and mediation effects analysis. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.931086
Witek, L., & Kuźniar, W. (2021). Green purchase behavior: The effectiveness of sociodemographic variables for explaining green purchases in emerging market. Sustainability, 13(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010209
Xing, L., Chang, B. H., & Aldawsari, S. H. (2024). Green finance mechanisms for sustainable development: Evidence from panel data. Sustainability, 16(22), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229762
Zhou, F., Pan, Y., Wu, J., Xu, C., & Li, X. (2024). The impact of green finance on renewable energy development efficiency in the context of energy security: Evidence from China. Economic Analysis and Policy, 82, 803–816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2024.04.012
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 R. Amalina Dewi Kumalasari, Mahir Pradana, Aditia Soelaksono, Anita Silvianita

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License - Share Alike that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
USER RIGHTS
All articles published Open Access will be immediately and permanently free for everyone to read and download. We are continuously working with our author communities to select the best choice of license options, currently being defined for this journal as follows: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike (CC BY-SA)












