Effects of Corporate Governance Mechanisms on Climate Change Disclosures: Evidence from Listed Banks in an Emerging Economy

Abstract

This study examines the effects of corporate governance mechanisms on climate change disclosure in Bangladeshi-listed banks. The corporate governance mechanisms used in the study were board size, board meetings, board independence, audit committee size, audit committee independence and audit committee meetings. A climate change disclosure index (CCDI) was developed to assess the sample banks’ climate change disclosures. From 2013 to 2018, data on climate change disclosures and corporate governance mechanisms were collected from the annual reports of all 30 listed banks. Employing a feasible GLS (FGLS) model for panel data, the findings demonstrated that increasing audit committee meetings, independent directors on the board and audit committee size positively and significantly increased climate change disclosures of listed banks in Bangladesh. Unlike prior climate change research on listed banks in Bangladesh, this study has included the audit committee attributes and the sponsor-directors’ ownership as determinants of climate change disclosures. This research offered a novel viewpoint on the significant positive impact of sponsor-directors’ ownership on climate change information disclosure. These findings have practical implications for governments, regulatory authorities, investors, green groups and other organisations working on climate change issues in the country.