𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹, 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗘𝗦𝗚) 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮-𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦

𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹, 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗘𝗦𝗚) 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮-𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹:
Asia Pacific Business Review

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿:
Taylor & Francis Group

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲:
26 February 2027

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲

Sustainability and ESG practices have become central to business strategy, governance, and institutional accountability across the Asia-Pacific region. However, ESG adoption and outcomes vary significantly across APAC economies due to differences in local institutions, political systems, ownership structures, governance models, and regulatory enforcement.

This Special Issue explores how global ESG pressures interact with local institutional contexts in Asia-Pacific businesses. It aims to advance research that examines how firms interpret, adapt, resist, or integrate global sustainability expectations within diverse APAC settings.

The issue particularly focuses on the role of developmental states, government-linked companies, family-owned businesses, concentrated ownership, informal institutions, and varied governance systems in shaping ESG practices. It seeks contributions that provide context-sensitive, policy-relevant, and theoretically meaningful insights into sustainability and ESG in the Asia-Pacific region.

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁

Submissions may address, but are not limited to:

• Global ESG pressures and local institutional translation in APAC
• Adaptation of ESG reporting frameworks such as GRI, TCFD, and ISSB
• ESG disclosure depth, credibility, and symbolic versus substantive adoption
• Investor, multinational, and supply-chain pressures on ESG adoption
• State–business relations and corporate sustainability strategies
• Developmental states and state-led sustainability initiatives
• Ownership structures, corporate governance, and ESG accountability
• ESG practices in state-owned and state-linked enterprises
• ESG in family-owned firms and business groups
• Business contributions to decent work and social sustainability
• Labour conditions, employee wellbeing, and supply-chain labour standards
• Environmental sustainability and regional development
• Low-carbon transitions and corporate environmental strategies in APAC
• ESG integration into business models and organizational capabilities

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

This Special Issue is organised in conjunction with the International Conference: Leading Sustainable Futures: Global Business Transformation in an Era of Complexity, hosted by the University of Bradford from 25–27 November 2026.

The conference is co-hosted by the University of Bradford, the University of Greater Manchester, and Murdoch University. A dedicated conference session will be allocated to the Special Issue, where prospective authors may present their work and receive feedback from the editors.

Participation in the conference session is voluntary and is not a prerequisite for submission to the Special Issue.

𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

• The Special Issue welcomes qualitative, quantitative, comparative case studies, multi-country analyses, mixed-methods research, policy-oriented studies, conceptual papers, and review papers.
• All submissions must follow the standard Asia Pacific Business Review submission requirements.
• Every manuscript must include the target country or countries within the article title.
• Manuscripts must include distinct implications sections addressing both theory/theory development and business and management practice.
• Each manuscript must end with a dedicated conclusion section.
• All submissions will undergo the journal’s standard double-blind peer-review process.
• Authors should indicate that their manuscript is submitted to this Special Issue.

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

• Nuttawuth Muenjohn, Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, Australia
Email: nuttawuth.muenjohn@murdoch.edu.au

• Chris Rowley, Kellogg College, University of Oxford; Bayes Business School, City St George’s, University of London; and Head of the Research Group, King's Business School, United Arab Emirates
Email: chris.rowley@kellogg.ox.ac.uk

• Nirma Jayawardena, Bradford University, UK
Email: n.jayawardena@bradford.ac.uk

• Amy Huang, Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, Australia
Email: A.Huang@murdoch.edu.au

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘂 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 — 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Visit official website of the publisher