Ilomata International Journal of Tax and Accounting
Vol. 7 No. 4 (2026): October 2026

Internal Audit Quality and Green Lending: Strengthening Low-Carbon Environmental Performance in Indonesian Listed Commercial Banks

Vita Citra Mulyandini (Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani)
Muhammad Angionaldi (Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani)



Article Info

Publish Date
01 Oct 2026

Abstract

The transition toward a low-carbon economy has increased the importance of sustainable finance and effective corporate governance within the banking industry. Green lending has become a key financing strategy for supporting environmentally sustainable investments; however, prior studies have largely examined internal governance and green lending separately, leaving limited evidence on whether Internal Audit Quality can strengthen the environmental effects of green lending. This study examines the effects of Internal Audit Quality (IAQ) and Green Lending (GL) on Low-Carbon Environmental Performance (LCEP) and investigates whether IAQ strengthens the relationship between GL and LCEP in Indonesian listed commercial banks. Using a quantitative research design, this study analyzes panel data from 47 Indonesian listed commercial banks during 2020–2024, resulting in 235 firm-year observations. The hypotheses are tested using a Fixed Effect Model (FEM) following panel model selection tests. IAQ is measured using a disclosure-based index, GL is measured by the proportion of green financing, and LCEP is measured using a composite disclosure index reflecting banks’ environmental commitments and low-carbon initiatives. The results indicate that IAQ has a positive and significant effect on LCEP (β = 0.367, p = 0.0001), while GL also has a positive and significant effect on LCEP (β = 0.298, p = 0.0002). Furthermore, the interaction between IAQ and GL is positive and significant (β = 0.184, p = 0.0061), indicating that higher IAQ strengthens the positive effect of GL on LCEP. These findings highlight the strategic role of internal auditing in strengthening governance and supporting sustainable finance implementation. The study contributes to the sustainable finance and corporate governance literature by integrating IAQ and GL within a unified framework to explain LCEP in emerging-market banking institutions.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijtc

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Social Sciences

Description

Ilomata International Journal of Tax and Accounting serves as the journal that is devoted exclusively to accounting research. Its primary objective is to contribute to the expansion of knowledge related to the theory and practice of accounting in Indonesia, by facilitating the production and ...