"Green Intellectual Capital and Environmental Performance: A Systematic Review and Integrative Framework for Sustainable Business Strategy"

Abstract

"Green Intellectual Capital (GIC) is positioned as a strategic intangible resource for improving environmental performance, yet evidence remains fragmented across constructs, mechanisms, outcomes, and boundary conditions. This study systematically reviews organizational-level GIC research to explain how GIC is associated with environmental and business value. Following a PRISMA 2020-aligned protocol, peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science were screened using predefined criteria, yielding 219 studies published between 2008 and 2026. The review shows that green human, structural, and relational capital are linked to environmental performance through knowledge integration, green capabilities, stakeholder alignment, and green innovation. It identifies green innovation as both an outcome of GIC and a conversion mechanism linking intangible green resources to performance. The study develops a mechanism-based framework and offers practical guidance for building workforce, organizational, and relational assets for environmental strategy. © 2026 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd."