Citizen monitoring in environmental disclosure: An economics perspective.

Criticism is mounting that market-led and state-led initiatives for environmental impact disclosure are too limited in scope and that they rest on too strong assumptions about the quality and impartiality of monitoring and enforcement, with resulting insufficient effect on environmental sustainability. It has been proposed that citizen monitoring may contribute to counteract this void. However, to our knowledge, policy analysis in general and economics in particular has not paid much attention to this role of citizen monitoring. This paper aims to bridge that gap from an economics lens, by exploring the dynamics of disclosing local environmental impact and the potential role of citizen monitoring in environmental policy. To this end, the paper addresses monopolistic versus pluralistic environmental disclosure, letting citizen monitoring represent the latter. The study uses the mining industry as an illustrative case, because of that sector's particular transparency challenges in international value chains, typically with strong negative local environmental impact. It is shown how pluralistic information provision such as citizen monitoring can contribute to incentivizing more reliable information provision, especially in countries with weak state institutions, which is particularly important in the case of high-risk environmental impact. The findings should be of use for shaping environmental policy, providing valuable insights for both policymakers and scholars.

Green innovation and political embeddedness in China's heavily polluted industry: role of environmental disclosure, gender diversity, and enterprise growth.

Innovation in green technology is an efficient approach to reducing carbon emissions and achieving energy conservation, which is essential for fostering sustainable and green economic development. Even though the development of eco-friendly technologies is accelerating, the grasp of how political ties affect firms' adoption of green technologies remains hazy. This paper examines the effect of a firm's total political embeddedness (government ownership and political connections) along with the influencing mechanisms by employing a panel fixed effect regression approach on a dataset of Chinese A-share enterprises operating in pollution-intensive industries spanning 2012 to 2021. The findings offer conclusive evidence that political embeddedness encourages the enterprises' development of green technologies and boosts their output of innovation. In addition, mechanism analysis reveals that companies' political embedding influences their green innovation behavior through environmental disclosure. Moreover, board gender diversity and company growth rate are found to reinforce the impact of political embeddedness on green innovation. Besides expanding the current research on green innovation and corporate political involvement, the findings also provide important policy recommendations for the sustainable development of companies in emerging markets.

Impact of economic, environmental, and corporate social responsibility reporting on financial performance of UAE banks.

This study investigates the degree of sustainability disclosure of listed banks in the UAE financial markets and analyzes the effect of sustainability disclosure on banking performance. Sustainability disclosure is examined by considering three dimensions-economic, environmental, and corporate social responsibility-and using content analysis. Dynamic panel regression was used to study the impact of sustainability disclosure on banking performance by differentiating between conventional and Islamic banks. The empirical results show that banks' levels of sustainability disclosure are low. Moreover, dynamic panel data reveal that sustainability disclosure has a positive and significant impact on bank performance. The results of this study assist the Central Bank of the UAE in developing a corporate sustainability disclosure framework to improve bank transparency, reduce information asymmetry, and improve compliance with sustainability standards.

Regulation intensity, environmental disclosure, and cost of capital: evidence from listed firms in China.

While theoretical deductions propose that environmental disclosure helps reduce cost of capitals, this conclusion is not always supported in empirical investigations and many factors moderate this connection. In this paper, we re-examine the issue against a unique background, say in the new development stage of China that pursues a balance between economic growth and environmental protection. Specifically, we build an environmental disclosure index and relate it with the costs of equity and debt capitals. We find the disclosure does not significantly contribute to the variation in either cost, when the relationship is estimated in pooled samples. However, when regulation intensity is involved, the puzzle is resolve. In the debt market, we find institutional investors generally devalues environmental disclosure but appreciate disclosure by essentially polluting firms. In contrast, retail investors in the stock market generally respond to environment disclosure in a positive way, but the disclosure by traditionally recognized polluting firms leads to increase in the cost of equity capital. Our work features important heterogeneity between debt and equity markets, and also the role of regulation intensity in moderating the connection.

The impact of environmental information disclosure quality on green innovation of high-polluting enterprises.

With the gradual increase of social awareness of environmental protection, environmental information disclosure has become the key for enterprises to accept social supervision and fulfill their social responsibility. This study examines the high-polluting enterprises that were listed on Chinese A-shares between 2008 and 2021. The influence of environmental information disclosure quality on green innovation is examined using ordinary least squares (OLS) as a benchmark model. The results show that the improvement of environmental information disclosure quality of high-polluting enterprises can significantly improve the quantity and quality of green innovation of enterprises and are mediated by alleviating financing constraints and enhancing cash reserves. Moreover, improving the quality of environmental information disclosure of highly polluting enterprises has a more significant contribution to the quantity and quality of green patents of non-state-owned enterprises, enterprises located in central and eastern China, and large enterprises. The findings of this paper provide theoretical support for achieving a "win-win" situation of environmental protection and green innovation.

Are environmentally friendly firms more vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected supply and demand to a large extent. Declining demand for firms' output has caused significant financial stress for all kinds of firms worldwide. Production that requires environmental measures usually gets constrained when firms, especially small and medium-sized firms (SMEs), have difficulty in accessing credit. Firms thus face the dilemma of whether to continue environmental behaviors or to fulfill financial commitments to suppliers, employees, and so on. As such, an empirical question is whether the economic consequences of COVID-19 vary by firms' types and their environmental behaviors. Using 4,888 sample firms from 14 EU member states, this study finds evidence that the severity of damage caused by COVID-19 depends on firm size and whether firms invested in pollution abatement techniques. Specifically, eco-friendly firms perform better during the COVID-19 pandemic, and SMEs are less vulnerable than large firms. In particular, eco-friendly SMEs are less affected by the pandemic than conventional SMEs and large firms. These findings are probably related to the efficacy of government relief programs targeted to eco-friendly SMEs and/or the healthy financial status of these firms prior to the pandemic.

Do investors penalize the firms disclosing higher environmental performance? a cross cultural evidence.

Climate change discourse integrates 3Ps - people, planet, and profit. However, we do not find any empirical study that integrates 3Ps. Therefore, using a large global panel dataset from 46 countries, this study intends to fill this gap by providing empirical evidence about investors' value proposition of corporate climate performance in different cultural environments. The results show that Hofstede's cultural dimensions affect corporate climate performance and its market pricing. We find that in cultures with high power distance, low individualism, high masculinity, high uncertainty avoidance, high long-term orientation, and high restraint, the investors generally penalize the firms disclosing higher environmental performance. Strangely enough, corporate waste production is universally value irrelevant. Our results indicate some policy implications.

Trend and relationship between environmental accounting disclosure and environmental performance for mining companies listed in China.

We examined the effect of environmental disclosure on environmental performance for listed mining companies in China. Our analysis used China's Environmental Information Disclosure Degree (EIDD) and the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission's disclosure guidelines to propose the Environmental Information Disclosure Index. Majority of previous studies on environmental disclosures focused on a particular company or city or province. Few studies considered a whole sector of a country. Among the few studies that considered a whole industry, none of such studies considered the mining industry. In addition, our study employed a recent environmental disclosure index and modified a recent index for environmental performance for the empirical analysis making our study unique. We also employed vigorous reliability and robustness test to ensure that our findings are valid and can be used by policy-makers. Using panel data for thirty-four mining companies from both Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange for the period 2000-2018, our cointegration estimation analysis concluded that corporate environmental performance and environmental information disclosure has a positive and significant relationship at a 1% level. Trend analysis revealed that mining companies comply with environmental information disclosure in China. This was seen from the great improvement in the environmental disclosure for mining companies between 2008 and 2010 after the enforcement of EIDD. Our results contribute to the previous literature and open the way for further studies on industry level in other countries.

Impact of board characteristics on environmental disclosures for listed mining companies in China.

This paper examines the impact of board characteristics on environmental accounting information disclosure for listed mining companies in China. Board characteristics were categorized into board size, independence characteristics, diversity characteristics, behavioral characteristics, and incentive characteristics. The study further extended to analyze the impact of board characteristics on environmental disclosure before and after the promulgation of Environmental Information Disclosure Degree (EIDD). Using multiple regression analysis with a sample of 34 listed mining companies from both Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges covering 2000-2018 period, we find a significant positive correlation between board size and Environmental Accounting Disclosure Index (EADI). Also, board independence measured by independent directors and the separation of the chief executive officer from board chairman revealed a positive and significant relationship with EADI. Similarly, behavioral characteristics measured by board meeting were positively correlated with EADI at 1% significant level. In terms of diversity characteristics, both females on board and foreign nationals revealed a negative and insignificant relationship with EADI, while incentive characteristics saw an inconclusive correlation with EADI. Our findings are useful to top managers and regulators who are interested in improving corporate governance practices and environmental information disclosure.

Valuation Impacts of Environmental Protection Taxes and Regulatory Costs in Heavy-Polluting Industries.

In 2016, the issue of the Environmental Protection Tax Law indicated the enhancement of environmental protection in China. This study examines the market reaction to firms in heavy-polluting industries, and the effects of external legal institutional quality and internal environmental disclosure on firm value around the passage of Environmental Protection Tax Law. Using an event study approach coupled with ordinary least square regressions, the researchers find a significantly negative market reaction to firms in heavy-polluting industries, but this negative reaction varies depending on the expected increase in future regulatory costs. Specifically, the above negative reaction is stronger when the firm reveals that itself or its subsidiary belongs to heavy-polluting industry, however it would be mitigated when a firm is in a region with better quality of legal institutions or discloses environmental improvement activities. Overall, the results are consistent with the market perceiving that the environmental protection tax law enacted would increase regulatory costs for firms in heavy-polluting industries, and also show the higher-quality regional legal institutions and more efforts on environmental protection could relieve the market's pessimism caused by uncertainty.

Evidenciação de emissões ambientais em empresas brasileiras / Disclosure environmental emissions in brazilian companies

RESUMO: Este estudo objetivou analisar como ocorre a evidenciação de emissões ambientais em empresas brasileiras. Dessa forma realizou-se uma pesquisa descritiva, documental e com abordagem qualitativa. A população do estudo foi composta por 100 empresas brasileiras listadas no IBrX100 da BM&FBovespa e a amostra compreendeu 31 empresas no ano de 2010, 33 em 2011 e 43 em 2012. Analisou-se o conteúdo referente às emissões ambientais dos Relatórios de Sustentabilidade e, ainda, foi realizado um ranking do nível de evidenciação de emissões ambientais das empresas analisadas. Os resultados demonstraram que a maioria das empresas brasileiras não possui Relatórios de Sustentabilidade disponíveis, sendo que àquelas que possuíam os relatórios disponíveis, no que tange às emissões, a maioria divulga dados na forma descritiva e quantitativa. Em relação aos rankings , a empresa P. Açúcar foi a que mais se destacou, pois se preocupa com o meio ambiente e divulga informações sobre as emissões ambientais. A maioria das empresas evidencia informações sobre as emissões destruidoras da Camada de Ozônio e emissões de Nox e Sox. Por fim, a maioria das empresas brasileiras não divulgam dados sobre a redução dessas emissões.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyze how the disclosure of environmental issues in Brazilian companies occurs. Thus we carried out a descriptive, documentary approach and qualitative research. The study population was composed of 100 Brazilian companies listed in IBrX100 BM&FBovespa and the sample included 31 companies in 2010, 33 in 2011 and 43 in 2012 analyzed the content relating to environmental issues Sustainability Reporting and yet, a ranking of the level of disclosure of environmental emissions of the analyzed companies was conducted. The results showed that the majority of Brazilian companies has no sustainability reports available, and those that had the reports available with respect to emissions, most releases data on descriptive and quantitative way. Regarding the rankings, the company P. Açúcar was the one that stood out because it cares about the environment and disseminates information on environmental emissions. Most companies shows information about the destructive emissions of the ozone layer and emission of Nox and Sox. Finally, most Brazilian companies do not disclose data on the reduction of these emissions.

The relationship between corporate environmental performance and environmental disclosure: an empirical study in China.

Based on a content analysis of 533 Chinese listed companies, this study examines how corporate environmental performance affects not only the level of detail of a company's environmental disclosures, but also what information is disclosed. The results show that (1) both poor and good performers have more disclosure than the median (i.e., "mixed") performers, which provides empirical evidence to support a nonlinear relationship between corporate environmental performance and environmental disclosure; (2) poor performers disclose more soft information on environmental performance than good performers, and good performers disclose more solid information; and (3) although poor performers increase disclosure after being exposed as environmental violators, they avoid disclosing negative environmental information, such as the violation and the associated penalties. This study provides additional evidence for a nonlinear relationship between environmental performance and disclosure in emerging markets, and suggests environmental disclosure may not be a valid signal to differentiate good performers from poor performers in contemporary China.

Gestão da evidenciação ambiental: um estudo sobre as potencialidades e oportunidades do tema / Environamental disclosure management: a study on the potential and opportunities of the theme

A evidenciação ambiental é utilizada pelas organizações como meio para comunicar os aspectos e impactos ambientais. O tema desperta interesse tanto na comunidade científica quanto na empresarial; contudo, acredita-se haver oportunidades de aperfeiçoamento para o tema. Neste contexto, emerge a pergunta de pesquisa: como identificar as potencialidades e oportunidades da evidenciação ambiental? Para responder a esta pergunta, tem-se como objetivo identificar as potencialidades e oportunidades da evidenciação ambiental para a gestão interna. Para atingir este objetivo, utiliza-se: um processo estruturado de revisão da literatura e um estudo de caso na empresa Petrobras S.A. Como resultado, o estudo mostrou que as pesquisas, em geral, não contemplam aspectos importantes para avaliação da evidenciação ambiental. O exemplo utilizado da Companhia Petrobras S.A. revelou que as métricas aplicadas para a análise apresentam baixo gerenciamento das informações específicas, uma vez que não levam em consideração suas propriedades singulares e, consequentemente, não permitem gerenciar e promover ações de aperfeiçoamento. Assim, caracterizam-se como potencialidades: o tema é relevante pois possibilita estabelecer padrões de informação ambiental, sendo gerenciado pela sociedade por meio de leis e normas e pelas organizações, por meio das consequências em seus objetivos estratégicos; o processo de busca de referencial teórico revelou que o tema é recente e aceito na comunidade científica internacional, e o estudo de caso revela que a evidenciação ambiental auxilia no aumento de comunicação entre empresa e sociedade. Como oportunidades encontradas, aponta-se a necessidade de um processo estruturado que permita identificar, mensurar, apresentar diagnóstico e ações de aperfeiçoamento, considerando as características singulares de cada organização.

The environmental disclosure is used by organizations as a mean to communicate the environmental aspects and impacts. The issue arouses interest in both the scientific community, and the business one; however, it is believed that there are opportunities for improvement to the topic. In this context, the following research question emerges: how to identify environmental disclosure strengths and opportunities? To answer this question, the main purpose it to identify the environmental disclosure strengths and opportunities of internal management. To achieve this goal, the following are used: a structured literature review process, and a case study at the company Petrobras S.A. As a result, the study has showed that researches, in general, do not cover important aspects for the environmental disclosure assessment. The example used by Company Petrobras S.A. has revealed that the metrics applied to the analysis presented low management of specific information, since it does not take into account their unique properties and, therefore, does not allow to manage and to promote actions for improvement. Therefore, the following are characterized as potentialities: the topic is relevant because it allows to set standards for environmental information, being managed by society through laws and norms, and by organizations through the consequences of their strategic objectives; the search process for theoretical referential has revealed that the topic is recent and accepted in the international scientific community, and the case study revealed that the environmental disclosure helps to increase communication between the company and society. As the opportunities found, the need for a structured process is emphasized to identify, measure, present diagnostic and actions for improvement taking into consideration the unique characteristics of each organization.