Analyzing Dual Impact of Macroeconomic Factors & Climate Related Variables on Financial Performance of Banking Sector of Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54938/ijemdss.2026.05.2.671Keywords:
Banking Sector Profitability, Macroeconomic Indicators, Climate Related Risks, ROA, Pakistan, FMOLS and DOLS.Abstract
This study examines the joint impact of macroeconomic factors and climate related risks on the financial performance of Pakistan’s banking sector. Quarterly unbalanced panel data for 32 banks covering 2015–2024 are used, with Return on Assets (ROA) serving as the profitability measure. Consumer Price Index, real interest rate, Gross Domestic Product, temperature change, and flood occurrences are included as explanatory variables. While, bank size is incorporated as a control. Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares estimators are applied to capture long run relationships. The results indicate that temperature change has a negative and statistically significant effect on bank profitability. GDP shows a positive and significant impact. Furthermore, flood occurrences also exhibit a positive and significant association with ROA. CPI demonstrates a mildly negative effect and the real interest rate remains insignificant. In brief, the findings emphasize the importance of integrating climate risk into financial regulation and indicate that larger banks are more resilient to macroeconomic and environmental shocks.
Downloads
References
Ahmad, E., & Malik, A. (2009). Financial sector development and economic growth: An empirical analysis of developing countries. Journal of Economic Cooperation and Development, 30(1), 17–40. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/299-libre.pdf
Ahmed, H., & Sehgal, M. (2018). Climate change and credit risk in the agricultural sector: Evidence from Pakistan. Pakistan Development Review, 57(2), 143–160.
Alsharif, B. (2023). The impact of macroeconomic variables on the performance of Islamic banks: An empirical study. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 8, e01347. https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i4.1347
Altamimi, S., & Nobanee, H. (2021). Banking sector and climate change. https://www.researchgate.net/.../Banking-Sector-and-Climate-Change.pdf
Anderson, K. (2024). What was the Industrial Revolution's environmental impact? Greenly. https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/ecology-news/what-was-the-industrial-revolutions-environmental-impact
Ashraf, M., Haider, Z., & Sarwar, M. B. (2017). Bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants’ impact on banks’ profitability: Evidence from Asian countries. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, 33(3), 187–199.
Aspal, P. K., Dhawan, S., & Nazneen, A. (2019). Significance of bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants on performance of Indian private sector banks. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 9(2), 168–174.
Athanasoglou, P. P., Brissimis, S. N., & Delis, M. D. (2008). Bank-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic determinants of bank profitability. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 18(2), 121–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2006.07.001
Azhar, M., Ilyas, S., Ali, S. Y., & Shafiq, A. (2025). Assessing the macroeconomic consequences of climate change: Impacts on GDP growth, inflation volatility, and agricultural productivity in developing economies. Review Journal of Social Psychology & Social Works, 3(2), 250–268. https://doi.org/10.71145/rjsp.v3i2.191
Babarinde, G. F., Abdulmajeed, I. T., & Gidigbi, M. O. (2023). Environmental factors and bank performance in Nigeria: A panel GMM approach. The International Journal of Accounting and Business Society, 31(3), 296–307. https://doi.org/10.21776/ijabs.2023.31.3.781
Battiston, S., Mandel, A., Monasterolo, I., Schütze, F., & Visentin, G. (2017). A climate stress-test of the financial system. Nature Climate Change, 7(4), 283–288. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3255
Caby, J., Ziane, Y., & Lamarque, E. (2022). The impact of climate change management on banks’ profitability. Journal of Business Research, 142, 412–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.078
Cevik, S., & Jalles, J. T. (2020). Feeling the heat: Climate shocks and credit ratings (IMF Working Paper No. 2020/286). International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2020/12/11/Feeling-the-Heat-Climate-Shocks-and-Credit-Ratings-499108
Chiaramonte, L., Dreassi, A., Goodell, J. W., Paltrinieri, A., & Piserà, S. (2024). Banks’ environmental policies and banks’ financial stability. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 91, 101927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intfin.2023.101927
Converse, N., & Jain, A. K. (2024). Do banks gain from inflation? Evidence from inflation surprises. https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/2025/program/paper/ZiE76fYQ
Dawn. (2025). Pakistan requires $348bn investment by 2030 to address climate change, says World Bank. https://www.dawn.com/news/1888837
Dajana, M. H., & Shujat, S. H. (2024, January 27). The perils of heatwaves. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/1809041
Davydenko, A. (2011). Determinants of bank profitability in Ukraine. Undergraduate Economic Review, 7(1), Article 2. https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol7/iss1/2
Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., Ansar, S., & Hess, J. (2018). The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring financial inclusion and the fintech revolution. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1259-0
Finance Act 2024–25. (2024). Federal Board of Revenue. https://fbr.gov.pk/2024630146346801FinanceAct-2024.pdf
Gazi, M. A. I., Karim, R., Senathirajah, A. R. b. S., Ullah, A. K. M. M., Afrin, K. H., & Nahiduzzaman, M. (2024). Bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants of profitability of Islamic Shariah-based banks: Evidence from new economic horizon using panel data. Economies, 12(3), 66. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12030066
Hasanov, F., Bayramli, N., & Al-Musehel, N. A. (2018). The impact of macroeconomic factors on bank profitability: Evidence from Azerbaijan. Banks and Bank Systems, 13(1), 106–115. https://doi.org/10.21511/bbs.13(1).2018.10
Hoffmann, P. S. (2011). Determinants of the profitability of the US banking industry. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(22), 255–269.
Horobet, A., Radulescu, M., Belascu, L., & Dita, S. M. (2021). Determinants of bank profitability in CEE countries: Evidence from GMM panel data estimates. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(7), 307. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14070307
Hossain, M. S., & Ahamed, F. (2021). Comprehensive analysis on determinants of bank profitability in Bangladesh. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.14198
Iqbal. (2022). Banks directed to employ 20pc women. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/1678880/banks-directed-to-employ-20pc-women
Jadah, H. M., Alghanimi, M. H. A., AlDahaan, N. S. H., & Al-Husainy, N. H. M. (2020). Internal and external determinants of Iraqi bank profitability. Banks and Bank Systems, 15(2), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.21511/bbs.15(2).2020.08
Jawarneh, S. (2022). Determinants of financial performance of commercial banks in Jordan: Application of CAMELS model. Theory Methodology Practice, 18(1), 75–82.
Jureviciene, D., & Doftartaite, D. (2013). Commercial banks’ activity dependence on macroeconomic indicators. European Scientific Journal, 9(31), 1–10.
Kanwal, S., & Nadeem, M. (2013). The impact of macroeconomic variables on the profitability of listed commercial banks in Pakistan. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2(9), 186–201.
Khan, Q. M., Kausar, R., & Abbas, U. (2015). Impact of bank-specific and macroeconomic factors on bank profitability: A study on banking sector of Pakistan. Journal of Accounting and Finance in Emerging Economies, 1(2), 99–110. https://doi.org/10.26710/jafee.v1i2.100
Khrawish, H. A. (2011). Determinants of commercial banks performance: Evidence from Jordan. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, 81, 148–159.
Lee, S., & Alam, M. Z. (2024). The impact of climate risk on bank profitability through liquidity creation channel: Empirical evidence from G7 countries. Journal of Asset Management, 25, 726–739. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41260-024-00384-x
Lin, B., & Raza, M. Y. (2019). Analysis of energy related CO₂ emissions in Pakistan. Journal of Cleaner Production, 219, 981–993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.02.112
Liu, Y., Huang, C., Zou, Z., Chen, Q., & Chu, X. (2020). Research into the mechanism for the impact of climate change on systemic risk—A case study of China’s small- and medium-sized commercial banks. Sustainability, 12(22), 9582. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229582
Lutf, L., & Omarkhil, H. (2018). Impact of macroeconomic factors on banking profitability. International Finance and Banking, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.5296/ifb.v5i1.1308
Mabkhot, H., & Al-Wesabi, H. A. H. (2022). Banks’ financial stability and macroeconomic key factors in GCC countries. Sustainability, 14(23), 15999. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315999
Mark, N. C., & Sul, D. (2003). Cointegration vector estimation by panel DOLS and long-run money demand. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 65(5), 655–680. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0084.2003.00066.x
Muzammil, M. (2020). Impact of macroeconomic indicators on financing in Islamic banking industry: An empirical analysis in Pakistan. Islamic Studies Research Journal Abḥāth, 5(18), 1–20. https://ojs.lgu.edu.pk/abhath/article/view/635
Naveendrakumar, G., et al. (2019). South Asian perspective on temperature and rainfall extremes: A review. Atmospheric Research, 225, 110–120.
Nguyen, P. D. (2024). Determinants of bank profitability in Vietnam: A focus on financial and COVID-19 crises. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 25(4), 709–730. https://doi.org/10.3846/jbem.2024.22070
Peters, V. (2025). How banks are impacted by and mediate the economic consequences of natural disasters and climate shocks: A review. De Economist, 173, 47–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10645-024-09441-7
Qadir, G., Iftikhar, K., & ul Mustafa, A. R. (2025). Dynamics of credit, liquidity and solvency risk: A multidimensional panel approach in case of Pakistan’s banking sector. IUB Journal of Social Sciences, 7(2), 98–115.
Rachdi, H. (2013). What determines the profitability of banks during and before the international financial crisis? Evidence from Tunisia. International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management, 2(4), 330–337.
Rahman, H.-u., Yousaf, M. W., & Tabassum, N. (2020). Bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants of profitability: A revisit of Pakistani banking sector under dynamic panel data approach. International Journal of Financial Studies, 8(3), 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijfs8030042
Rashid, A., & Jabeen, S. (2016). Analyzing performance determinants: Conventional versus Islamic banks in Pakistan. Borsa Istanbul Review, 16(2), 92–107.
Saif-Alyousfi, A. Y. H., & Alshammari, T. R. (2025). Environmental sustainability and climate change: An emerging concern in banking sectors. Sustainability, 17(3), 1040. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031040
Samenow, J. (2018). A city in Pakistan may have just endured the hottest April temperature ever observed on Earth. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/05/01/a-city-in-pakistan-may-have-just-endured-the-hottest-april-temperature-ever-observed-on-earth/
Sarkar, S., & Rakshit, D. (2023). Macroeconomic factors affecting the profitability of commercial banks: A case study of public sector banks in India. Asia-Pacific Journal of Management Research and Innovation, 19(4), 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1177/2319510X231181891
State Bank of Pakistan. (2020). Financial inclusion strategy report 2020. https://www.sbp.org.pk
State Bank of Pakistan. (2025, April 24). The banking sector (Chap. 3) in financial stability review 2024. https://www.sbp.org.pk/FSR/2024/Chapter-3.pdf
Ul Mustafa, A. R., Ansari, R. H., & Younis, M. U. (2012). Does the loan loss provision affect the banking profitability in case of Pakistan? Asian Economic and Financial Review, 2(7), 772.
United Bank Limited. (2024). [LinkedIn post]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/united-bank-limited_ubluae-foreignfinancing-economicgrowth-activity-7279202014381641729-yUXe
World Bank. (2022). Pakistan floods 2022: Post-disaster needs assessment. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/10/28/pakistan-floods-2022-post-disaster-needs-assessment
World Economic Forum. (2021, June). This is how climate change could impact the global economy. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/06/impact-climate-change-global-gdp
World Economic Forum. (2023, June). The economic costs of extreme weather are soaring, but number of deaths is falling fast. Here’s why. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/06/extreme-weather-economic-costs-death-numbers/
Wu, X., Bai, X., Qi, H., Lu, L., Yang, M., & Taghizadeh-Hesary, F. (2023). The impact of climate change on banking systemic risk. Economic Analysis and Policy, 78, 419–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2023.03.012
Yaseen, M., Din, M. U., Shaheen, R., & Khan, S. (2024). Impact of climate change on financial stability of banking sector in Pakistan. Journal of Asian Development Studies, 13(3), 1222–1231. https://doi.org/10.62345/jads.2024.13.3.100
Zhang, W. L., Chang, C. P., & Xuan, Y. (2022). The impacts of climate change on bank performance: What’s the mediating role of natural disasters? Economic Change and Restructuring, 55, 1913–1952.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Hina Fatima, Abdu Jabar Rustamani, Afaq Ali Khan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Under the Creative Common Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) license, authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication.






