Dynamic Connectedness among Green Bonds, Carbon, Gold, Bitcoin, and An Emerging-Market Sustainability Index Under Geopolitical Risk
Abstract
This study examines the evolving interconnectedness among the BIST Sustainability Index, Green Bond, carbon emission allowances, gold, and Bitcoin under different geopolitical risk (GPR) environments from January 2020 through February 2026. A TVP-VAR model, combined with statistical testing and a tercile-based robustness design, is used to determine how the nature of spillovers differs across GPR regimes. The results reveal moderate time-varying connectedness, with Green Bond acting as the principal net transmitter and the BIST Sustainability Index as the primary net receiver. Contrary to expectations, average connectedness is significantly higher during the low-GPR period, and this difference survives autocorrelation-robust inference, the exclusion of the pandemic period, and a COVID-period control, indicating that elevated geopolitical stress is associated with greater fragmentation rather than stronger co-movement. In addition, the directional architecture of spillovers differs across GPR regimes: gold switches from a net receiver to a net transmitter under high GPR, whereas Bitcoin exhibits the opposite reversal. These shifts are consistent in sign across alternative specifications, and the Bitcoin reversal remains significant under dependence-robust inference in the tercile classification. These patterns carry important implications for portfolio diversification and crisis hedging.
Keywords
References
- Adeosun, O.A., Anagreh, S., Tabash, M.I. and Vo, X.V. (2024). Return and volatility transmission among economic policy uncertainty, geopolitical risk and precious metals. Studies in Economics and Finance, 41(5), 1057-1084. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEF-10-2023-0586
- Antonakakis, N., Chatziantoniou, I. and Gabauer, D. (2020). Refined measures of dynamic connectedness based on time-varying parameter vector autoregressions. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13(4), 84. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm13040084
- Arouri, M.E.H., Mhadhbi, M. and Shahrour, M.H. (2025). Dynamic connectedness and hedging effectiveness between green bonds, ESG indices, and traditional assets. European Financial Management, 31(5), 1704-1719. https://doi.org/10.1111/eufm.12561
- Baykut, E. and Kula, V. (2019). The volatility and shock transmission patterns between the BIST Sustainability and BIST 100 indices. Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, 5, 50. https://doi.org/10.3389/fams.2019.00050
- Caldara, D. and Iacoviello, M. (2022). Measuring geopolitical risk. American Economic Review, 112(4), 1194-1225. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20191823
- Chatziantoniou, I. and Gabauer, D. (2021). EMU risk-synchronisation and financial fragility through the prism of dynamic connectedness. The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, 79, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qref.2020.12.003
- Cortellini, G. and Panetta, I.C. (2021). Green bond: A systematic literature review for future research agendas. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(12), 589. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14120589
- Çağlı, E.Ç., Mandaci, P.E. and Taşkın, D. (2022). Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing and commodities: Dynamic connectedness and risk management strategies. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 14(5), 1052-1074. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-01-2022-0014
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Econometric and Statistical Methods, Time-Series Analysis, International Finance, Environmental Economy
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
September 30, 2026
Submission Date
March 28, 2026
Acceptance Date
September 17, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 3