Level Of Environmental Disclosure Research Articles

Exploring the relationship between board characteristics and environmental disclosure: Empirical evidence for European firms

Research Question: Does the effect of selected board characteristics is contingent on the level of environmental disclosure by European firms. Motivation: Sustainable development is based on a vision where the protection of the environment, social progress and economic efficiency are indispensable. Idea: This research aims to investigate the effect of selected board characteristics on the level of environmental disclosure by European firms. Data: This study used a sample of 220 European companies under the context of a new dataset, namely, DataStream ASSET database. Corporate environmental disclosure index (CEDI) is developed to measure the level of environmental information. Tools: This index is calculated based on the CEDI-related items provided by DataStream ASSET4. Findings: The multiple linear regression analyses were used to verify the effect of the board of directors’ characteristics on the level of environmental disclosure. The results indicate that the board size and board independence have a statistically significant and positive impact on the level of environmental disclosure. Contribution: The findings have important implications for different policymakers; It helps inform regulatory regulators of the importance of good corporate governance to lay the foundation for comprehensive environmental disclosure by establishing valuable relationships with different stakeholders.

Environmental disclosure practices and Firm performance; evidence from Sri Lanka

The main objective of this study was to identify the impact of environmental disclosure practices on firm performance which is an emerging issue around the globe. This research relies on secondary data which was collected from published annual reports of listed companies in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Data was collected from a sample of 50 companies listed under 5 sectors over consecutive four financial years from 2015 to 2018. The technique of content analysis was occupied when measuring the level of environmental disclosures. Environmental Disclosure Index (EDI) was prepared based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards 2019. This study employed a regression analysis for the data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between environmental disclosures and firm financial performance. However, there is no significant relationship between environmental disclosures and firm market performance. The findings of this study will accommodate annual report preparers and regulators of highly environmentally sensitive industries in creating the grounds of environmental disclosures practice to achieve higher performance.

Environmental disclosure practice in the Serbian banking sector

This paper aims to: a) analyse the environmental disclosure practice in the Serbian banking sector, b) determine whether the degree of disclosure is higher in the case of big, i.e. systemically important banks, and c) examine if there is a positive relationship between the banks' CSR practice and their financial performance. The environmental disclosure index (EDI) based on 15 variables was employed to measure environmental disclosure performance for the Serbian banking industry. The data were generated through content analysis of the annual and sustainability reports of a total of 10 banks, five of which were classified as systemically important banks for the period 2015-2019. The sample was determined by the availability of reports for the analysed period and the bank establishment year. The results show that the majority of Serbian banks discloses their environmental policy (74%), the undertaken environmental activities with the local community (51%), and the utilization efficiency of water, energy, and paper (48%). Although the findings indicate that the environmental disclosure practice among all banks in Serbia is growing, the reports are not standardized. In addition, the systemically important banks in Serbia do not have a better disclosure practice. The econometric analysis implies that the bank's status does not influence the level of environmental disclosure and that there is no positive relationship between financial performance (ROA and ROE) and EDI. This study has implications for policymakers and accounting bodies in Serbia in standardizing non-financial reporting and creating certain green and sustainable banking guidelines.

Environmental disclosure on mandatory and voluntary reporting of Portuguese listed firms: the role of environmental certification, lucratively and corporate governance

Purpose This study aims to construct two environmental disclosure indices (EDI), one obtained from the mandatory reporting (annual report) and the other from the voluntary reporting (sustainability report), to compare their evolution. In addition, the authors developed and evaluated a conceptual model that aims to analyse if the two EDI are affected by industry, environmental certification, lucratively and corporate governance attributes. The legitimacy, signalling and voluntary disclosure theories are used to support the theoretical relationship between the company’s characteristics, corporate governance and environmental disclosure. Design/methodology/approach Using the content analysis technique, the authors have developed two indices to assess the level of environmental disclosure in the companies’ mandatory and voluntary reporting. In addition, to analyse the determinants of EDI, the authors applied the technique of multiple linear regression using panel data. Findings Based on Portuguese listed companies (Euronext-Lisbon), the results, from 2015 to 2017, exhibited an increase of 14.6% and 25.8% for the EDI obtained from the annual reports and for EDI obtained from the sustainability reporting, respectively. In addition, the results revealed that the environmental certification, lucratively, number of members on board and number and proportion of women of the board directors tend to affect the annual reporting EDI. Regarding the sustainability reporting EDI, the results showed that the environmental certification, lucratively and proportion of independent members of the board of directors have an impact on it. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on quantitative rather than qualitative disclosures and it brings some insights to the theoretical field. Practical implications The results obtained can assist corporate decision-making processes regarding the improvement of environmental disclosure, both on the mandatory annual report and on voluntary sustainability reports. Originality/value This study brings new perspectives to this topical issue in accounting. Originally, this study is applied to Portuguese listed companies and it shows different trends and determinants of environmental disclosure when included in the annual reporting or sustainability reporting.

EFFECT OF THE CULTURAL SYSTEM ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DISCLOSURE IN THE ENERGY SECTOR

This study examines the effect of the cultural system on the disclosure of corporate social responsibility by companies in the energy sector. The survey analyzed a sample of 62 leading energy companies from 25 countries. The dependent variable is the level of environmental disclosure of the companies. The independent variables are composed by the cultural system of the analyzed countries, according to the Hofstede cultural dimensions. The data were analyzed using descriptive, inferential statistics, correlation, and regression of panel data. The findings show that in more individualistic and masculine cultures, companies disclose more CSR information. It was found that companies based in cultures with a higher level of indulgence and with a greater orientation for the long term tend to have greater environmental disclosure. The results show that the level of disclosure of corporate social responsibility is different depending on the country's cultural system. There are institutional pressures, which encourage companies to publish a more complete sustainability report. The results of this study have academic and managerial implications.

Environmental disclosure on agricultural and mining sector

This study aims to understand the environmental disclosure of agricultural and mining companies. Especially the impact of independent are commissioners, leverage ratios, firm size, and liquidity ratios on environmental disclosure. The population is the agricultural and mining sector’s companies in 2014-2019 with 61 companies. Sampling using purposive sampling technique and uses multiple linear regression analysis with SPSS. The results show that firm size, liquidity ratio, and leverage ratio harm environmental disclosure. However, the independent board of commissioners does not affect environmental disclosure. In conclusion, if the leverage ratio, liquidity ratio, and company size are increase, it will reduce the level of environmental disclosure. Hence, agricultural and mining companies in Indonesia have to improve environmental responsibility. Then, the government should make an effective policy for environmental disclosure.

Environmental Disclosure Practices and Firm Performance; Evidence from Sri Lanka

The main objective of this study was to identify the impact of environmental disclosure practices on firm performance which is an emerging issue around the globe. This research relies on secondary data which was collected from published annual reports of listed companies in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Data was collected from a sample of 50 companies listed under 5 sectors over consecutive four financial years from 2015 to 2018. The technique of content analysis was occupied when measuring the level of environmental disclosures. Environmental Disclosure Index (EDI) was prepared based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards 2019. This study employed a regression analysis for the data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between environmental disclosures and firm financial performance. However, there is no significant relationship between environmental disclosures and firm market performance. The findings of this study will accommodate annual report preparers and regulators of highly environmentally sensitive industries in creating the grounds of environmental disclosures practice to achieve higher performance.
 Keywords: Environmental Disclosure, Global Reporting Initiatives, Firm performance, Content Analysis

Environmental sustainability disclosure and accounting conservatism

In this article, we analyzed whether the level of accounting conservatism of a firm is affected by its environmental sustainability information disclosure. For that purpose, we developed two Environmental Disclosure Indices (EDI), one obtained from the mandatory reporting (annual report) and the other from the voluntary reporting (sustainability report), and compared the effects on conditional conservatism. Content analysis was used to develop two indices to evaluate the level of environmental disclosures. Moreover, the technique of multiple linear regression, using panel data, was applied to provide original empirical evidence for Portuguese companies listed on the stock exchange. We found evidence that higher environmental sustainability information disclosure enhances the conservative accounting practice, which is consistent with the argument that a higher level of Corporate Social Responsibility tends to increase financial statements transparency. In addition, we found that environmental information disclosed in specific and voluntary reporting has a superior impact on the level of conditional conservatism. These results showed that managers tend to engage in earnings management activities by being more accounting conservative in order to meet shareholders' expectations and disclose higher levels of environmental information. Therefore, this article brings some insights to the debate about the usefulness of accounting conservatism and the contribution of sustainability goals to monitor and guide managers’ activities.

Corporate governance and environmental disclosure through integrated reporting

PurposeIn recent years, integrated reporting has emerged as a tool to provide environmental information in an interconnected way. However, in the academic literature, the amount of environmental information contained in integrated reports has never been analysed. This study, through the stakeholder-agency theory, aims to fill this important gap by examining the impact of the corporate governance mechanisms on the level of environmental information disseminated by the firms through integrated reports.Design/methodology/approachA manual content analysis based on an environmental disclosure index consisting of 30 items was performed to measure the amount of environmental information. In addition, a regression analysis was performed on a sample of 129 international firms to examine the impact of the corporate governance mechanisms on the level of environmental information disseminated through integrated reports.FindingsThe results show a positive effect of the board size, board gender diversity and corporate social responsibility committee existence on the level of environmental disclosure. Furthermore, they show a non-significant impact of board independence.Originality/valueThis study enriches the literature in several ways. First, it extends the field of application of the stakeholder-agency theory. Second, this study extends the analysis of environmental disclosure to another document – the integrated report – still unexplored by academic literature. Finally, it shed light on the determinants of environmental disclosure.

Corporate Environmental Disclosure Quality and Impression Management Theory in Nigeria

Corporate environmental disclosure acts as a means of providing environmental information to fulfill firms’ accountability relationship with stakeholders and to express firm’s environmental awareness. However, the level of environmental disclosure by Nigerian firms is still low and the relationship with actual environmental performance is still inclusive. This study examines this phenomenon using the impression management theory. The theory asserts that firms provide environmental information as an attempt to control the impression of the public and the stakeholders. The sample of the study comprises of firms listed on the Nigerian stock exchange as at 31 st December, 2020. GRI disclosure index is used in collecting environmental disclosure data from the annual reports of the sampled firms. The environmental performance (EP) data was collected from the ministry of environment website. The result of this study reveals that EP does not have any influence on companies’ disclosure of environmental information. The result of the study provides motivation for the NSE to review all existing CSR reporting framework so as to provide a guidance to firms to prepare a more objective voluntary environmental disclosure.

Impact of environmental, social and governance disclosures on market reaction: an evidence of Top50 companies listed from Thailand

PurposeThis study aims to survey the extent, level and trend of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures of top50 listed companies from Thailand, to test the different level of ESG disclosures of the companies between high profile industry and low profile industries and to examine the impact of ESG disclosures on the market reaction of top50 listed companies in Thailand.Design/methodology/approachPopulation and sample were top50 listed companies from the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Using corporate annual reports from 2015 to 2019, content analysis by word counting was used to quantify the extent, level and trend of ESG disclosures, while the market reaction was collected by the average stock price. Descriptive analysis, independent sample t-test, correlation matrix and multiple regression were used to analyze the data.FindingsThere was an increased level of ESG disclosures during the period being study. The most common ESG disclosures were social disclosure following by governance and environmental disclosures. Moreover, there were different levels of environmental disclosure of top50 listed companies between high and low profile industries, while no different levels of social and governance disclosures between high and low profile industries were found. Finally, the study found that environmental and social disclosures had a positive impact on market reaction, while there was a negative impact of governance disclosure on market reaction.Originality/valueThai investors can use ESG disclosures for their decision-making on investment.

Environmental Disclosure Practices Analysis on Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, Malaysia Exchange, and Thailand Stock Exchange

This study aims to determine differences in environmental disclosure practices in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand and to identify factors that are suspected to influence environmental disclosure, including the size of the board of commissioners, profitability, and company size. The population of this study is large companies listed on the Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI), the Bursa Malaysia (KLSE), and the Bursa Efek Thailand (SET) which are included in the largest stock market indexes in each exchange in 2018. The sampling method uses purposive sampling so that the research sample is 125 units of analysis. This study uses the One-Way ANOVA analysis and multiple regression analysis using the IBM SPSS 21 program. The results of the study indicate that there are no significant differences in environmental disclosure in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The average level of environmental disclosure is 30.67% and included in the low category. The results of the multiple regression analysis showed that the size of the board of commissioners had a significant positive effect on environmental disclosure, while profitability and company size did not affect environmental disclosure.

The Effect of Environmental Disclosure and Performance on Profitability in the Companies Listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)

The main objective of this study is to determine the empirical evidence of the effect of environmental disclosure, environmental performance, company age, and company size on profitability. The purposive sampling method was used to determine the sample of companies and obtained 85 companies from a total population of 100 large companies listed on the Thailand Stock Exchange (SET) in 2018. The data analysis technique used was multiple linear regression analysis using analysis tool IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. The results of this study prove that environmental disclosure has a significant positive effect on profitability. Environmental performance and company size have a significant negative effect on profitability. On the other hand, company age is not proven to have a significant effect on profitability. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that more extensive environmental disclosure is able to increase the achievement of profitability. However, company age is not a factor affecting profitability. Meanwhile, company size and environmental performance as measured by total assets and the existence of ISO 14001 certifications are proven to reduce the level of company profitability. This study also has several limitations, including the time period which is limited to only one time period, namely 2018. It is expected that further studies can expand the time period by more than one year. This is since using a time period of more than one year can illustrate the effect of environmental disclosure and environmental performance, company age and company size on the profitability achieved by the companies. In addition, it is expected that the results of this study can provide input to companies to be more concerned regarding company performance activities, especially on the environment because there are still many companies that have low levels of environmental disclosure even though environmental disclosure in Thailand is still voluntary.

The Effect of Environmental Disclosure on Company Profitability (Survey on Manufacturing Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the 2017-2019 Period)

This study aims to determine the effect of environmental disclosure on company profitability. The research method used in this research is explanatory research. This study shows that the relationship between variables is causal, so it is included in the type of causal research. The analytical method used in this research is descriptive statistics, classical assumption tests and hypothesis testing. The results of hypothesis testing show that environmental disclosure has no effect on profitability and the level of environmental disclosure for manufacturing companies from 2017 to 2019 is still low.

Does ownership type affect environmental disclosure?

PurposeIn recent years, firms tend to direct their attention in communicating their environmental actions with their stakeholders. However, the level of environmental disclosers varies significantly among firms. This paper aims to explain the variation in environmental disclosure of firms based on their ownership type, namely – state ownership and institutional ownership. The study further aims to understand whether and how the relationship between ownership structure and environmental disclosure changes regarding countries’ development levels.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a sample of 27,847 firm-year observations from 72 countries/economic districts between the years 2002 and 2017 and regression analysis to test how the relationship between different ownership structures and environmental disclosure and whether this relation is conditional on countries’ development levels.FindingsThis study finds that firms with higher state ownership have higher environmental disclosures and higher institutional ownership has a negative effect on environmental disclosures. Furthermore, this paper also documents that firms with higher state ownership and operating in developed countries have incrementally higher environmental disclosure, relative to firms operating in developing countries.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has limitations that would provide possible starting points for further research. The first limitation is related to the environmental disclosure measure, which reflects the level of environmental disclosure of firms based on their disclosure information given in the Thomson Reuters, Asset4 database. A more refined measure can be constructed using hand-collected data based on linguistic analysis, which may reflect not only the level of the disclosure but also the quality of the environmental disclosure. The second limitation is the limited focus of the study toward state and institutional shareholding. Therefore, future research may consider examining the different types of ownership such as family ownership.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study may help policymakers and regulators to consider the potential impact of various ownership types on environmental disclosures. Also, given the impact of countries’ development levels, regulators should consider that a one-size-fits-all is not applicable in environmental disclosures. Therefore, each country should consider the institutional dynamics of their operating environment to set appropriate regulations to enhance environmental disclosures.Social implicationsFrom a social perspective, the findings indicate that firms’ stakeholder engagement via environmental disclosures depends on the type of the controlling shareholders.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by developing a new construct for environmental disclosure based on Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Investments and Spill Impact Reduction performance measures. Further, grounding on legitimacy and stakeholder theories, this study shows the influence of ownership type on environmental disclosures and how this effect changes in accordance with the countries’ development.

Análisis de información y factores de desempeño ambiental y de economía circular en empresas peruanas

Peruvian companies with significant sustainability impact have a significant development in their environmental information. Based on this, this research aims to analyze the level of disclosure of environmental performance information according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and circular economy (CE) practices. Similarly, determine its relationship with the size and business sector for those companies that published their sustainability report, and analyze the results within the framework of legitimacy and institutional theories. A quantitative investigation was carried out by means of a content analysis of the sustainability reports to determine the indices of the level of disclosure of said information, description and relationship of the variables indicated. This level of environmental disclosure is not met in all aspects of GRI. In fact, the results indicated greater compliance in the dissemination of environmental waste management, water, transport and regulatory compliance indicators, an institutional influence by type of business activity was observed. On the other hand, CE practices also did not show a high degree of disclosure, while input consumption reduction and waste management practices showed greater disclosure. The business sector presented a relationship with the level of environmental information, however, neither the size nor the sector of the companies were related to the CE information.

Fatores Determinantes do Nível de Divulgação Ambiental nos Relatórios Contábeis das Companhias Listadas no Índice de Sustentabilidade Empresarial (ISE)

ABSTRACT: This research aimed to investigate the factors that may influence the level of environmental disclosure in the accounting reports of companies that were part of the ISE portfolio in 13 editions. The disclosure theory was adopted as a theoretical framework and from this seven hypotheses were raised, which related the level of environmental disclosure with the participation in the Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE); size; profitability; indebtedness; nature of the activity; shareholding control; and, different levels of Corporate Governance. The study sample consisted of companies listed on the Brazil Bolsa Balcao (B3) Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) over the past 13 years, resulting in 48 companies and totaling 624 observations. Data were collected from the Reuters® database, the Standardized Financial Statements, Reference Forms, Explanatory Notes, Management Reports, Sustainability Reports and the B3 website. The results showed that the variables participation in the Corporate Sustainability Index and size had a positive and significant influence on the level of environmental disclosure. In turn, the nature of the activity presented statistical significance and negative association. While the variables profitability, financial debt, shareholding control and different levels of corporate governance did not exert significant influence. These results partially converge with those found in some previous studies and are in line with some assumptions of the disclosure theory. KEYWORDS: Environmental Disclosure, Disclosure Theory, ISE.

Corporate governance and voluntary sustainability practices in Islamic bank: A study in the MENA region

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of selected governance characteristics on the level of environmental disclosure in Islamic banks within the MENA zone. This study used a sample of 40 Islamic banks as part of a new data set, namely the data collected from the annual reports. Environmental disclosure is developed to measure the level of environmental information. We measure the environmental disclosure by both the energy disclosure items and the natural environment disclosure item provided by the annual reports. Multiple linear regression analyzes were used to verify the effect of a bank’s governance characteristics on the level of environmental disclosure. This study may contribute to the existing literature by providing insights from countries with an emerging economy and providing updated documentary and empirical evidence concerning the association between the characteristics of governance and the level of environmental disclosure of Islamic banks within the MENA zone

Do environmental and financial performances affect environmental disclosures? Evidence from listed companies in Indonesia

The number of companies in Indonesia that have participated in environmental-related activities continues to grow. Some of these companies have also engaged and implemented an assessment program called Program for Pollution Control, Evaluation, and Rating (PROPER). This assessment program was initially launched by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment in 1995 to measure and rate the environmental performance of companies in Indonesia. They have also administered an environmental management system as part of their environmental protection initiatives. However, the level of environmental disclosure by these companies is still low. This may occur due to the current situation in which the companies are not obliged to incorporate environmental disclosures on their annual reports. For those companies that disclose their environmental performance, there is also no apparent reason on why they have done that. This research aims to examine the effect of environmental performance, company financial performance, and company characteristics on environmental disclosure. The population used in this research comprised of all registered non-financial companies in the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2014–2016. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling method to obtain 36 sample companies and analyzed through multiple regression analysis. Results show that the environmental performance variable, which is described by PROPER ratings and environmental management systems, and company size variable, both affect the extent of environmental disclosures. However, the financial performance variable, which is described by companies’ profitability and leverage, and the number of board commissioners variable, both do not significantly affect the extent of environmental disclosures.

PERFORMA LINGKUNGAN DAN DERAJAT PENYAJIAN INFORMASI LINGKUNGAN PERUSAHAAN NON KEUANGAN DI INDONESIA

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of environmental performance factor on corporate social responsibility disclosure. Firm size, profitability, and company debt as control variables. CSR disclosure as the dependent variable is proxied by the GRI index. The research sample is the annual reports of non-financial companies that have participated in the Proper program and have been listed on the IDX 2014-2018. There are 55 companies that fillful the sample criteria with 275 firm years. Methods of data analysis using multiple regression. The test results show that the company's environmental performance has a positive and significant effect on the level of corporate environmental disclosure in the annual report. The positive value possessed by the environmental performance variable of the company shows that the environmental performance carried out by the company is in the same direction (direction) as the company's environmental disclosure. The better the company's performance in environmental performance, the higher the company's environmental disclosure level in the published annual report. This condition is in accordance with the signal theory that companies tend to disclose the company's environmental performance to maintain or enhance the company's image among pemangku kepentingan s. Environmental performance and disclosures that are made are a form of company responsibility towards pemangku kepentingan demands and to maintain company legitimacy and avoid legitimacy conflicts. Corporate social responsibility is essential to ensure the continuity of today's business world. The company not only has obligations to shareholders, but more to pemangku kepentingan s .