The contemporary discourse on sustainable transition has largely been dominated by economic modelling, technological innovation and financial instrument design. Yet the normative foundations of governance remain insufficiently theorised. Drawing upon empirical research on corruption, domestic savings, green bonds, environmental taxation and policy modelling, this article advances a normative thesis: sustainable transition is structurally contingent upon institutional ethics. Corruption is not merely an economic inefficiency but an ethical disintegration of institutional order, undermining public trust, financial credibility and long-term sustainability. The article reconstructs the moral architecture of governance necessary for green transformation and argues that without institutional integrity, renewable transition and green finance remain structurally fragile.

Keywords: institutional ethics, corruption, governance, sustainable transition, public trust, green finance