The relationship between climate change mitigation strategies and the financial performance of Brazilian companies

Abstract

AbstractStudies on the relationship between corporate sustainability strategies and financial performance are often dealt with in a broad manner, which can hinder the ability to consolidate knowledge on the subject. In order to add greater depth and understanding to the debate, this study focuses on the issue of climate change mitigation strategies (CCMS). This focus allows for a reduction in the complexity of the analyses of the relationship between environmental and financial performance, and a more thorough discussion of corporate sustainability strategy choices. To analyze the relationship between CCMS and financial performance, this research collected data from 61 companies that took part in the selection process for the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) of the Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3), which was published between 2013 and 2019, and contained 249 observations. The research used multivariate analysis with the panel data regression method. The results showed there to be a positive and statistically significant relationship between CCMS and the financial performance of companies, indicating that the corporate implementation of practices and policies for facing up to climate change can lead to both environmental and economic benefits for companies.