ESG Approach to Financial Sustainability of Kazakhstan’s Oil and Gas Companies
https://doi.org/10.47703/ejebs.v69i3.555
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of asset structure. It retained earnings on the strategic sustainability of oil and gas companies in Kazakhstan in the context of ESG integration. The analysis covers the period 2015–2024 and is based on the official financial statements of JSC KazMunayGas. The methodology included correlation analysis, regression modelling, ANOVA, and collinearity diagnostics. The results demonstrate that long-term assets and property, plant, and equipment (PPE) explain 97.6% of the variation in total assets (R² = 0.976, p <0.05), while retained earnings account for 71.4% of the variation in total equity (R² = 0.714, p = 0.002). Conversely, current assets and cash equivalents show no significant effect on retained earnings (R² = 0.076, p> 0.5). All three hypotheses were confirmed: long-term assets and PPE significantly explained total assets, and retained earnings significantly explained equity. The obtained results demonstrated that long-term capital-intensive investments and reinvestment of profits constitute the main drivers of ESG-oriented sustainability. In contrast, short-term liquidity plays only a supporting role. Based on these findings, government policy should strengthen the integration of ESG indicators into mandatory reporting standards and provide incentives for reinvestment of retained earnings in sustainable projects. For corporate practice, prioritizing long-term investments and transparent ESG disclosure is recommended to align Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector with both national sustainable development priorities and international ESG standards.
About the Authors
Aliya UralovaKazakhstan
PhD student, Email: uralovaa@proton.me
Gulzada Shakulikova
Kazakhstan
Doc. Sc. (Econ.), Professor, Email: rector@aogu.edu.kz
Aigul Yesturlieva
Kazakhstan
PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Finance, Email: aigul.yesturliyeva@yu.edu.kz
Nazgul Syrlybayeva
Kazakhstan
Cand. Sc. (Econ.), Associate Professor, Email: adilet-75@mail.ru
Gulimai Amaniyazova
Kazakhstan
Cand. Sc. (Econ.), Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Finance, Email: gulimai_a@mail.ru
References
1. Aimagambetova, A., Oralbayeva, A., Akhmetova, A., & Ospanova, G. (2020). Ways to improve the enterprise's capital account. Reports of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 3(331), 114. https://doi.org/10.32014/2020.2518-1483.62 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32014/2020.2518-1483.62
2. Alimoradi Jaghdari, S., Mehrabanpour, M. R., & Najafi Moghadam, A. (2020). Determining the effective factors on financing the optimal capital structure in oil and gas companies. Petroleum Business Review, 4(3), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.22050/pbr.2020.255708.1133
3. Juravle, C., & Lewis, A. (2008). Identifying impediments to SRI in Europe: A review of the practitioner and academic literature. Business Ethics: A European Review, 17(3), 285-310. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8608.2008.00536.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8608.2008.00536.x
4. Campello, M., & Giambona, E. (2013). Real assets and capital structure. Journal of financial and quantitative analysis, 48(5), 1333-1370. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022109013000525 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022109013000525
5. Cardoni, A., Kiseleva, E., & Terzani, S. (2019). Evaluating the intra-industry comparability of sustainability reports: the case of the oil and gas industry. Sustainability, 11(4), 1093. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041093 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041093
6. Ekpe, H. C. (2024). The effects of asset structure on the performance of oil and gas firms in Nigeria. ANSPOLY Journal of Advanced Research in Science & Technology, 1(1), 31-34. https://anspolyjarst.com/journal/article/view/32
7. Erben Yavuz, A., Kocaman, B. E., Doğan, M., Hazar, A., Babuşcu, Ş., & Sutbayeva, R. (2024). The impact of corporate governance on sustainability disclosures: A comparison from the perspective of financial and non-financial firms. Sustainability, 16(19), 8400. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198400 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198400
8. Garcia, A. S., Mendes-Da-Silva, W., & Orsato, R. J. (2017). Sensitive industries produce better ESG performance: Evidence from emerging markets. Journal of cleaner production, 150, 135-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.02.180 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.02.180
9. Gavrikova, E., Volkova, I., & Burda, Y. (2020). Strategic aspects of asset management: An overview of current research. Sustainability, 12(15), 5955. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12155955 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12155955
10. Hyndman, R. J., & Kostenko, A. V. (2007). Minimum sample size requirements for seasonal forecasting models. Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting, 6(Spring), 12–15. Retrieved September 05, 2025 from https://robjhyndman.com/papers/shortseasonal.pdf?utm_source
11. Jalilvand, A., & Kim, S. M. (2013). Matching slack resources and investment strategies to achieve long-term performance: New perspectives on corporate adaptability. The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, 10(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeca.2013.10.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeca.2013.10.001
12. Jenkins, D. G., & Quintana-Ascencio, P. F. (2020). A solution to minimum sample size for regressions. PloS one, 15(2), e0229345. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229345 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229345
13. KazMunayGas. (n.d.). Reporting for investors. Retrieved August 17, 2025, from https://www.kmg.kz/ru/investors/reporting/
14. Kolk, A., & Perego, P. (2010). Determinants of the adoption of sustainability assurance statements: An international investigation. Business strategy and the environment, 19(3), 182-198. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.643 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.643
15. Koszel, M. (2025). The contemporary trends of scientific research on ESG and non-financial reporting. Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization & Management/Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Slaskiej. Seria Organizacji i Zarzadzanie, (216). http://dx.doi.org/10.29119/1641-3466.2025.216.15 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29119/1641-3466.2025.216.15
16. Kyriazos, T., & Poga, M. (2023). Dealing with Multicollinearity in Factor Analysis: The Problem, Detections and Solutions. Open Journal of Statistics, 13(3), 404–424. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojs.2023.133020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ojs.2023.133020
17. Liu, B., & Jia, Y. (2023). Asset Structure and Company Performance. International Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Management, 4(3), 35-43. https://doi.org/10.38007/IJSSEM.2023.040305 DOI: https://doi.org/10.38007/IJSSEM.2023.040305
18. Michalczuk, G., & Konarzewska, U. (2018). The use of GRI standards in reporting on actions being taken by companies for sustainable development. Optimum. Economic Studies, 4(94), 72-86. http://hdl.handle.net/11320/7530 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15290/oes.2018.04.94.07
19. Nurasheva, K. K., Shalabayev, I. I., Abdikerimova, G. I., Kulanova, D. A., & Mergenbayeva, A. T. (2024). Capital inflow and investment attractiveness of Central Asian countries (on the example of Kazakhstan). Regional Science Policy & Practice, 16(9), 100039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rspp.2024.100039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rspp.2024.100039
20. O’brien, R. M. (2007). A caution regarding rules of thumb for variance inflation factors. Quality & quantity, 41(5), 673-690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-006-9018-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-006-9018-6
21. Petrovic, N., Manson, S., & Coakley, J. (2016). Changes in Non‐current Assets and in Property, Plant and Equipment and Future Stock Returns: The UK Evidence. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 43(9-10), 1142-1196. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbfa.12203 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbfa.12203
22. Ratnayake, R. M. C., & Liyanage, J. P. (2009). Asset integrity management: sustainability in action. International Journal of Sustainable Strategic Management, 1(2), 175-203. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSSM.2009.022832 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSSM.2009.022832
23. Rezaee, Z. (2016). Business sustainability research: A theoretical and integrated perspective. Journal of Accounting literature, 36(1), 48-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acclit.2016.05.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acclit.2016.05.003
24. Sohn, J., Tang, C. H. H., & Jang, S. S. (2013). Does the asset-light and fee-oriented strategy create value? International journal of hospitality management, 32, 270-277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.07.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.07.004
25. Tong, T., & Kassenova, G. Y. (2025). Financial tools for managing corporate capitalization in Kazakhstan: a qualitative analysis of strategies, institutions, and market realities. International Science Journal of Management, Economics & Finance, 4(3), 75-93. https://doi.org/10.46299/j.isjmef.20250403.09 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46299/j.isjmef.20250403.09
26. Turygin, O. M. (2018). Internal sources to increase financing for fixed investments in a company. Economy of Regions, (4), 1498. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/internal-sources-increase-financing-fixed/docview/2503462760/se-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17059/2018-4-34
Review
For citations:
Uralova A., Shakulikova G., Yesturlieva A., Syrlybayeva N., Amaniyazova G. ESG Approach to Financial Sustainability of Kazakhstan’s Oil and Gas Companies. Eurasian Journal of Economic and Business Studies. 2025;69(3):95–109. https://doi.org/10.47703/ejebs.v69i3.555
JATS XML








