%0 Journal Article
%A Téllez Valle, Cecilia
%A Giráldez, Pilar
%A Ordóñez Vizcaíno, Carlos Fernando
%T Sustainable microfinance as a transforming knowledge domain: A bibliometric and systematic review
%D 2026
%U https://hdl.handle.net/10433/27384
%X Sustainable microfinance has evolved from an instrument toalleviate poverty into a multidimensional development tool that integratesfinancial inclusion, social outcomes, and environmental sustainability.However, the research in this field is fragmented across microfinance, greenfinance, and sustainable finance, and it unclear how these dimensions interact.We address this gap by conducting the first integrated bibliometric andsystematic review of sustainable microfinance, based on articles publishedbetween 1999 and 2025 (identified in Web of Science and Scopus). We use amixed-methods design that combines bibliometric mapping with qualitativesynthesis to reconstruct the conceptual evolution of the field and identify itsintellectual and thematic structure. The results reveal three stages: an initialinstitutionalist phase emphasising financial self-sufficiency and operationalefficiency; and a recent sustainability-oriented phase that incorporatesenvironmental responsibility, governance quality, and digital transformation.The emerging themes include climate-risk management, renewable energyfinancing, environmental performance of microfinance institutions, impactsbased on gender, knowledge-based financial inclusion, and the role ofinstitutional capacity in shaping development outcomes. From a developmentperspective, sustainable microfinance intersects with climate vulnerability,persistent inequalities, digital divides, and governance challenges.Nevertheless, there are important gaps regarding theoretical integration,cross-country comparability, how environmental and social outcomes aremeasured, and the long-term effectiveness of green and gender-orientedinterventions. Overall, sustainable microfinance is a promising but undertheoriseddomain with substantial potential to support inclusive, climateresilient,and gender-responsive development pathways. We propose a futureresearch agenda grounded in multidimensional and context-sensitiveapproaches.
%K Sustainable Microfinance
%K Systematic Review
%K Financial Inclusion
%K Green Microfinance
%K Governance and Institutions
%K Digital Financial Inclusion
%~