The Sustainable Transition of the Banking Sector - An Empirical Analysis of the European Banking System

This thesis investigates the banking sector's role as the primary financial engine of the global ecological transition, focusing on the structural shift from voluntary disclosure to strict regulatory compliance. The study first examines the regulatory evolution of sustainability reporting and disclosure, subsequently exploring the key contribution of banks and the financial sector in advancing sustainability, along with the specific structural challenges involved. Finally, using a mixed-methods research design, a selected sample of 20 major European banks was analyzed to evaluate the evolution of sustainability disclosures between the 2023 (NFRD) and 2024 (CSRD) fiscal years, revealing a profound regulatory shock in corporate language.