Corporate political activity and environmental sustainability disclosure

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lopin Kuo ◽  
Hui-Cheng Yu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Environmental Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Political Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
Party Chief

Purpose Taking on a corporate political activity (CPA) perspective, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how CPA affects environmental sustainability disclosure among firms in China and whether the disclosure level varies across ownership structures and environmental sensitivity statuses. Design/methodology/approach The sample comprises 652 corporate social responsibility reports released by firms in China during 2008-2010. Data are coded through a content analysis procedure before being analyzed using regression analysis. Findings The authors find a significant and positive association between CPA and environmental sustainability disclosure. However, the effect of CPA on environmental sustainability disclosure is significantly negative among firms in the environmentally sensitive industries (ESIs) and privately owned enterprises (POEs). More specifically, a firm’s environmental disclosure level is lower when the proportion of board members with a significant status, such as party chief of the Communist Party, is higher among firms in ESIs and POEs. This implies that firms with guanxi (i.e. Chinese-specific CPA) are more likely to be free from trouble. Originality/value This empirical study offers important evidence on the fulfillment of environmental sustainability policies and the effectiveness of regulatory controls that China has used in the development toward a low-carbon economy.

Energy system retrofit in a public services building

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Rafael Galvão ◽  
Licinio Moreira ◽  
Gonçalo Gaspar ◽  
Samuel Vindeirinho ◽  
Sérgio Leitão
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Energy Model ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Photovoltaic Panels ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Avoided Emissions

Purpose Taking into account the current relevance of the concept of smart city connected with the Internet of Things, this work aims to study the implementation of this concept by applying a new energy model in an existing public building. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the sustainability and energy autonomy of the building. Design/methodology/approach The building referred to in the case study is a library, and simulations related to the ongoing study are based on an energy audit, comprising a survey on electrical and thermal energy consumption. The innovative proposed model consists of a mix of energy production processes based on photovoltaic panels and biomass boilers. Economic analysis of the energy model has already yielded some results regarding the payback on investment, as well as avoided emissions in the context of development of a low-carbon economy with avoided emissions and socioeconomic advantages. Findings It is possible to enhance the sustainability of the library studied by the retrofit of the current energy system. With the integration of photovoltaic panels and the conversion or replacement of boilers from natural gas to biomass, the GHG emissions could drop around 121 t CO2 per year. Another benefit would be the inclusion of endogenous resources over imported energy resources. The payback period for the measures proposed ranges from 2.5 to 8 years, proving that the increase in environmental sustainability is viable. Originality/value The intention here is to implement the concept of smart city, in more sustainable buildings, bringing them to the lowest possible energy consumption levels, hence increasing performance and comfort. Also, taking into account that the energy-consuming buildings are already constructed, it is urgent to reconvert them to lower the use of energy and emissions using technologies based on renewable energy, boosting the use of local resources.

Empirical analysis on corporate environmental performance and environmental disclosure in an emerging market context

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1061-1082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merve Acar ◽  
Hüseyin Temiz
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Corporate Environmental Performance ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Environmental Reporting ◽  
Environmental Disclosure ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Disclosures

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the association between environmental performance of firms and the level of voluntary environmental disclosure in emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachWe used tobit regression OLS and t-test methods to reveal the association between environmental performance and the level of voluntary environmental disclosure.FindingsWe find a significant positive association between the level of discretionary environmental disclosures and corporate environmental performance. The result is in line with the arguments of economics disclosure theory that argues environmentally good performers disclose more.Practical implicationsMany of the environmentally good firms in Turkey are also listed in the “BIST Sustainability Index,” and this situation can be the result of the relative power of external regulations. Accordingly, it can be suggested to increase the community and governmental pressures for environmental reporting but also gives importance to increase intrinsic motivations for companies to engage in disclosure practices.Originality/valueThis study shed light on relation between environmental performance and environmental disclosure in an emerging market context. Also, it is revisited that the relation between environmental performance and the level of environmental disclosure by testing two different predictions on the level of environmental disclosures.

Smart economic development patterns in Europe: interaction with competitiveness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jurgita Bruneckienė ◽  
Jonas Rapsikevičius ◽  
Mantas Lukauskas ◽  
Ineta Zykienė ◽  
Robertas Jucevičius
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Global Competitiveness ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
The 2008 Financial Crisis

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the smart economic development (SED) patterns in Europe in relation to competitiveness. Motivational focus corresponds to global events: the fourth industrial revolution, transition to a low-carbon economy, economic shocks (such as the 2008 financial crisis, Brexit or the coronavirus pandemic), which requires rethinking development policies, targeting competitiveness increase and reducing imbalances in economic development. Design/methodology/approach The analysis includes self-organising neural networks cluster analysis and correlations, comparative analysis of SED indicators structure and cumulative index estimation with World Economic Forum (WEF) global competitiveness index. The panel data set of 19 years from 2000 to 2018 for 30 European countries. Findings Overall, cross-country examination suggests that European countries of higher competitiveness illustrate higher estimates in SED. The key determinants are juridical fairness, social responsibility, competence building, intelligence and welfare employment to develop smart patterns for reaching higher competitiveness. Research limitations/implications The limitations relate to the particular sample of European countries and gathering statistical data and a methodology of the SED index calculation. In addition, the paper contains a macroeconomic environment focus on competitiveness estimation. Further research may be improved with micro and mezzo environment incorporation at a cross-country analysis level. Practical implications By linking well-known terms of competitiveness and economic development with a concept of smartness, new approaches to policymaking emerged. The methodology presented in this paper has implications for territorial cohesion policies, competitiveness and branching strategies. The combination of SED sub-indexes and WEF GCI might aid a more accurate ex ante measurement. Social implications The findings are essential for fostering a smart approach in economic development for long-term competitiveness. Originality/value This paper provides original empirical evidence about the relationship between SED and competitiveness and adds new knowledge that smartness becomes a way for building countries’ competitiveness by identified two profiles of SED patterns by development stages, namely, integrated to economic development and institutional-based which is divided to focus and balanced.

Conservation plan and “green maintenance” from sustainable repair perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brit Anak Kayan
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Generation ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Historic Buildings ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Conservation Plan ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Carbon Economy

Purpose – It is well recognised that Conservation Plan has attracted attention to the maintenance of historic buildings; despite diverse array of issues, particularly associated with “Green Maintenance” concept and methodology and sustainable repair approach. The theory of these three concepts currently exists, but fails to be realised in practical integration. The purpose of this paper to ask why this failure is occurring and how it influences sustainable historic environment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is composed of a critical review of existing literature and an argument built based on the concept of a Conservation Plan, “Green Maintenance” concept and methodology and sustainable repair approach for historic buildings. Findings – Despite the need of maintenance of historic buildings, this review suggests that a Conservation Plan often mitigates against its own association with “Green Maintenance”. Conversely, this could be improved by transforming the integration to be more pronounced in achieving sustainable repair for historic buildings. Practical implications – An integration of the concept of a Conservation Plan, “Green Maintenance” and sustainable repair approach could be utilised to form the basis of decision-making process for achieving sustainable historic environment. Social implications – An integration of Conservation Plan, “Green Maintenance” and sustainable repair approach will be positively welcomed as our society moves towards a low carbon economy and materials as well as “green” procurement. Originality/value – Unless integration between of a Conservation Plan, “Green Maintenance” and sustainable repair is improved, much of our culturally significant historic buildings will not be repaired in sustainable ways and our future generation may lose their historic environment.

Canada's national carbon pricing plans face delays

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Gas Emission ◽  
Carbon Pricing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
International Commitments ◽  
Carbon Economy

Significance Trudeau has pledged to formulate a new national climate policy to help Canada meet its international commitments to greenhouse gas emission reductions in line with its support of the Paris climate accord. Subnational support is key to this goal, given the significant policy-making roles of the provinces. Impacts Premier Brad Wall's stand against carbon pricing is likely to translate into re-election in the April Saskatchewan elections. The new federal Low Carbon Economy Fund offers commercial opportunities for infrastructure and energy firms. Carbon pricing -- when combined with low oil prices -- would threaten the economic viability of the oil sands. Pharmacare and federal economic stimulus funding may form other areas of acute federal-provincial disagreement.

EU Green Deal will involve greater state regulation

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Sector Funds ◽  
The Eu

Subject European Green Deal. Significance The European Green Deal seeks to transform the EU to a low-carbon economy. It proposes radical change in the way goods and services are produced and consumed. While based on a level playing field for all actors within the EU, it implies much greater state regulation of economic and social activities with the aim of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Impacts The Green Deal’s adoption would increase the likelihood of environmental criteria becoming more prominent in trade policy. The mobilisation of additional public sector funds implies rising debt levels on top of the expenditure relating to COVID-19. COVID-19 will delay EU and member state scrutiny and ratification of the Green Deal components.

Franchise systems and lobbying: implications for Olsonian collective action theory

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 2357-2372
Author(s):  
Richard S. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Collective Action ◽  
Action Theory ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
System Size ◽  
Industry Structure ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Corporate Political Activity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Activities

Purpose Previous research combining corporate political activity and collective action theory has focused solely on industry structure and its role in predicting group lobbying or PAC participation. The purpose of this paper is to use a different context—franchise systems—to apply Olsonian collective action theory to political activities. Design/methodology/approach Using a random-effects technique in STATA on an unbalanced panel data set, this paper empirically models the effects of franchise system size and degree of franchising on the level of lobbying intensity. Findings Since franchise systems are made up of differing unit ownership structure, the author first model if those systems that are fully franchised lobby less than those with franchisor unit ownership (supported). Next, since collective action theory predicts that more participants in a space will lead to less collective action, the author predict that franchise systems with larger unit counts will lobby less than those with smaller counts (not supported). Finally, the author test the interaction of these two effects as systems that are fully franchised and of higher unit totals should have an even greater negative relationship with political activity (supported). Originality/value This paper uses both a novel data set and a novel context to study collective action. Previous research has utilized an industry structure context to model the level of lobbying and collective action, while the current research uses an analogous logic, but in the context of franchise systems.

Cloud computing: a collaborative green platform for the knowledge society

VINE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona A. Mohamed ◽  
Sharma Pillutla
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Information Overload ◽  
Knowledge Society ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Chief Information Officers ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Critical Issues

Purpose – The main aim of this paper is to investigate the potential of Cloud Computing as a multilayer integrative collaboration space for knowledge acquisition, nurturing and sharing. The paper will pinpoint benefits and challenges of Cloud Computing in satisfying the new techno-sociological requirements of the knowledge society through the provision of information technology (IT) green services. Furthermore, the article calls for the engagement of researchers to generate additional discussion and dialog in this emerging and challenging area. Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies a conceptual analysis to explore the utilization of the Cloud ecosystem as a new platform for knowledge management (KM) technologies characterized by environmental and economic benefits. Findings – This paper reveals the emergence of a new layer in the Cloud stack known as Knowledge Management-as-a-Service. The article discusses how KM has the opportunity to evolve in synergy with Cloud Computing technologies using the modified Metcalfe’s law, while simultaneously pursuing other benefits. This research reveals that if Cloud Computing is successfully deployed, it will contribute to the efficient use of the under-utilized computing resources and enable a low carbon economy. However, challenges such as security, information overload and legal issues must be addressed by researchers before Cloud Computing becomes the de facto KM platform. Originality/value – While the technical, legal and environmental complications of Cloud Computing have received the attention warranted, the KM concepts and implementation facets within the realm of the knowledge society have not yet received adequate consideration. This paper provides enterprise KM architects, planners, chief information officers (CIOs) and chief knowledge officers (CKOs) with a comprehensive review of the critical issues, many of which are often overlooked or treated in a fragmented manner within the Cloud environment.

scholarly journals The Costs and Trade-Offs of Green Central Banking: A Framework for Analysis

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 5168
Author(s):  
Radu Șimandan ◽  
Cristian Păun
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Financial Stability ◽  
Central Banks ◽  
Central Banking ◽  
Smooth Transition ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Macroprudential Policies ◽  
Trade Offs

The participation of central banks in the fight against climate change has recently been advanced in several academic articles and policy papers. Since the emerging consensus is that climate change poses financial risks, the envisaged green central banking has a responsibility to address environmental sustainability as a means of promoting financial stability—an increasingly accepted goal of central banks in the post-financial crisis world. Thus far, the pro side of the argument is well represented in the literature, though often the benefits remain implicit: with the help of central banks via monetary and macroprudential policies, a smooth transition to a low-carbon economy would be somehow beneficial to all of us. With this article, we aim to add to this literature by looking at the costs and trade-offs of this course of action in light of the observation that the con side of the proposal has been only marginally addressed. We put forward a framework for the analysis of the costs and trade-offs of green central banking and exemplify the applicability of this framework by studying three cases of central banks for which the transition to green operation has been advanced. We find evidence that if costs and trade-offs are taken into account, the case in favor of greening central banks becomes less straightforward than is currently conveyed in the literature.

Sustainability disclosures of hybrid organizations: Swedish state-owned enterprises

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 505-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Argento ◽  
Giuseppe Grossi ◽  
Kamilla Persson ◽  
Theres Vingren
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
State Ownership ◽  
Statistical Analyses ◽  
Hybrid Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Content ◽  
Corporate Size ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
And Control

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the content of the sustainability reports of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the factors influencing the sustainability information they disclose. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the literature on sustainability disclosure, institutional logics and hybrid organizations, several hypotheses were deduced. By means of a quantitative content analysis, the sustainability disclosure index of 45 Swedish SOEs was calculated. Statistical analyses were conducted to test which variables affected the sustainability disclosures of the selected SOEs. Findings The findings reveal that only state ownership and corporate size significantly affect SOEs’ sustainability disclosures. Fully state-owned SOEs disclose less sustainability information than partially state-owned SOEs. Large SOEs disclose more sustainability information than small SOEs. However, there are weak indications that having a public policy assignment (PPA) (activity) negatively influences environmental sustainability disclosures, and that having a majority of female directors on the board decreases the total sustainability information disclosed. In addition, the statistical analyses show that having state representatives on the board and being profitable may positively affect the disclosures. Originality/value Accountability is particularly important in SOEs, and their complex hybrid nature has an impact on sustainability disclosures in a surprising way. State ownership and control do not necessarily imply an increased amount of sustainability disclosure.

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