Title: Re-examining the relationship between carbon performance and carbon disclosure: empirical evidence from selected international companies
Authors: Leo Themjung Makan; Kailash Chandra Kabra
Addresses: Department of Commerce, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India ' Department of Commerce, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to examine the bidirectional relationship between carbon performance and carbon disclosure. To this end, the study used data of 138 international companies during the period 2013-2014 to 2018-2019. The carbon performance was measured as negative carbon intensity, and carbon disclosure was measured by creating a disclosure score and by employing content analysis. The findings of the paper revealed that carbon performance negatively affects carbon disclosure. On the other hand, it is also found that carbon disclosure positively influences subsequent carbon performance. Conducted in the context of large international firms and in a period marked by heightened climate scrutiny, the findings of the study provide important insight for policy purposes and managerial implications. To the authors' knowledge, this current study is one of the first to investigate the bidirectional association between carbon performance and carbon disclosure.
Keywords: carbon disclosure index; CDI; carbon intensity; climate change; greenhouse gas.
International Journal of Sustainable Economy, 2023 Vol.15 No.2, pp.167 - 185
Received: 07 Oct 2021
Accepted: 14 Dec 2021
Published online: 31 Mar 2023 *