scholarly journals Effects of China’s environmental policy on carbon emission efficiency

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiongfeng Pan ◽  
Xianyou Pan ◽  
Changyu Li ◽  
Jinbo Song ◽  
Jing Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
National Program ◽  
Difference In Difference ◽  
Difference Model ◽  
Address Climate Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emission Efficiency

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of environmental policy China’s national program to address climate change on carbon emission efficiency. Design Based on the directional distance function, the provincial total factor carbon emission efficiency was measured. Then, the authors analyzed the effect of environmental policy on carbon emission efficiency based on a difference in difference model. Finding Carbon emission efficiency has been significantly improved since the environmental policy China’s national program to address climate change was put forwarded, but the positive impact in different periods and regions is different. In addition, the environmental policy improves the carbon emission efficiency through the reduction of energy intensity and adjustment of the industrial structure. Originality/value This is the first time to use difference in difference model to use a difference in difference model to quantitatively assess the influence of environmental policy China’s national program to address climate change on carbon emission efficiency.

The rainbow sign: climate change and corporate reputation

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 52-56
Author(s):  
Peter Buell Hirsch
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Corporate Reputation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Literature ◽  
Qualitative Interpretation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to highlight the increasing importance corporate responses to climate change will play in corporate reputation. Design/methodology/approach Review of the relevant secondary literature Findings Companies that develop active responses to climate change will see positive impact on their corporate reputation. Research limitations/implications The review of the secondary literature is not comprehensive and subject to the author’s qualitative interpretation of it. Practical implications Companies that follow the recommendations will see a benefit in stakeholder appreciation. Social implications The more companies embrace a proactive stance on climate change, the more likely society is to meet the 2 per cent goal. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first treatment of climate change from the perspective of corporate reputation.

Global and Brazilian Amazon pressures will rise

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Foreign Governments ◽  
Domestic Companies ◽  
Change Mitigation

Significance In Amazonia, deforestation increased by 25% year-on-year in the first half of 2020. The situation has led large institutional investors, corporations and foreign governments to press Brazil to change its environmental policy. Domestic companies, including the country’s largest banks, have also increased calls for more environmental protection. Impacts Climate change mitigation internationally will be severely affected by fires in Amazonia. Environmental neglect will increasingly erode Brazil’s diplomatic influence. Lack of a clear commitment to environmental conservation in the coming years will undermine efforts to boost the economy.

scholarly journals Impact of external assurance on corporate climate change disclosures: new evidence from Finland

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Probal Dutta ◽  
Anupam Dutta
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Control Variables ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Managers ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to examine the impact of external assurance on the level of voluntary corporate climate change disclosures by Finnish firms.Design/methodology/approachThe sample of this study includes 228 firm-year observations over the period 2008–2015 for listed Finnish companies that have issued sustainability reports and responded to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) questionnaire at least once during the sample period. The authors conduct a panel regression analysis to study the afore-mentioned linkage. In addition, the Tobit regression model is also estimated to check the robustness of our findings.FindingsThe findings suggest that assurance has a highly significant positive impact on the level of corporate climate change disclosures even after controlling for the effect of a number of control variables. Moreover, among the control variables, firm size and asset age are found to have significant effect on the extent of carbon emissions disclosure. Furthermore, the additional analysis reveals that the type of assurance providers (accounting firms vs non-accounting firms) and the type of financial auditors (Big4 financial auditors vs non-Big4 financial auditors) do not influence the level of climate change disclosure of assured companies.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is subject to certain limitations. First, the source of the data used in this research is the CDP database which has limitations in that it is a voluntary disclosure process where all the observations collected are self-reported by the responding firms. This may bias the reported findings. Second, our sample includes only listed companies and hence the results might have limited explanatory capacity for unlisted firms.Practical implicationsBy using the results of this research, corporate managers will be able to reduce the information asymmetry between various stakeholders and them through disclosure of accurate, reliable and credible environmental information. Such disclosures will, in turn, allow socially responsible investors to choose eco-friendly investments and will thus enable them to make appropriate investment decisions.Originality/valueResearch on the external assurance-corporate climate change disclosure nexus is scarce. This study addresses this gap in the nonfinancial disclosure assurance literature by demonstrating that external assurance increases the level of voluntary corporate climate change disclosure. Drawing on stakeholder-agency theory, this study views external assurance as a monitoring structure that potentially curbs the monitoring problem between corporate managers and other stakeholders and increases the amount of climate change disclosures making a possible avenue for the reduction of the information asymmetry between them.

Outward FDI and productivity promotion of exporting firms: firm-level evidence from China

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Zhang ◽  
Haoze Li ◽  
Chunlai Chen
Keyword(s):  
Learning Effect ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Difference In Difference ◽  
Outward Fdi ◽  
Export Intensity ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Exporting Firms ◽  
Chinese Firm ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) conducted by exporting firms on their productivity.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses two Chinese firm-level datasets. To reduce the bias when merging the two datasets, this study uses a comprehensive link approach to obtain more observations. The propensity score matching method is employed together with the difference-in-difference and difference-in-difference-in-difference approaches to identify the casual effects.FindingsThe study finds that exporting firms become more productive through learning effect via OFDI, and the positive impact of OFDI on total factor productivity materializes very quickly but subject to diminishing return. The study also finds that state-owned enterprises gain less learning effect via OFDI than private-owned enterprises, and firms with higher export intensity or larger size tend to gain less improvement in productivity via OFDI.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to investigate empirically the impact of OFDI conducted by exporting firms on their productivity. In particular, the study analyzes three types of firm heterogeneous factors, namely, ownership, export intensity and size, in affecting exporting firms' learning effect via OFDI.

scholarly journals Crisis in the habitat of the economic growth monster

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-317
Author(s):  
Emil Urhammer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inclusive Language ◽  
Policy Proposals ◽  
New View

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to offer a new view on economic growth and use this view to add to the explanation of economic growth as a powerful agent that determines policies regarding urgent issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on analysis of scholarship and media, interviews and observations in a multi-sited ethnography of economic growth. Findings – The article argues that the circulation of economic growth has contributed to a shaping of institutions and language to an extent where environmental policy proposals framed as harmful to economic growth can easily be rejected. Furthermore, the article offers an operationalisation of the term ecologisation by promoting a new inclusive language in decision-making. Originality/value – The paper fills a gap in literature by offering an empirical philosophical take on economic growth and by offering a suggestion for the operationalisation of the term ecologisation.

scholarly journals Barriers to climate change adaption in the Australian property industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 449-462
Author(s):  
Georgia Warren-Myers ◽  
Anna Hurlimann ◽  
Judy Bush
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Government Regulation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Address Climate Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Climate Change Information ◽  
Nationally Representative

PurposeTo identify barriers to climate change adaptation in the Australian property industry.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews with twenty-four stakeholders from a diverse cross-section of the Australian property industry were undertaken in 2018 and 2019.FindingsA range of barriers to action on climate change were identified. These barriers centre around (1) information: lack of clear, reliable, and trusted sources of climate change information; (2) cost: competing economic demands, and the perceived threat that investing in climate change action poses to competitiveness; and (3) regulation: the inaction of governments thus failing to provide a regulatory environment to address climate change.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative research provides perspectives from actors in different sectors of the Australian property industry. While it provides an in-depth understanding of the barriers to addressing climate change adaptation, it is not necessarily a nationally representative sample.Practical implicationsThe study identifies barriers to climate change adaptation, and establishes practical ways in which the Australian property industry can address these barriers and the role that government regulation could have in generating industry-wide change.Social implicationsClimate change poses significant challenges to society. Built environments are significant contributors to climate change, and thus the property industry is well-placed to make positive contributions to this global challenge.Originality/valueLimited research has examined barriers to climate change action in the property industry. This research provides novel insights from the perspective of key actors across a diverse range of property industry sectors. This new knowledge fills an important gap in understanding how to address climate change in Australia and broader contexts.

scholarly journals Office building adaptation and the growing significance of environmental attributes

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 252-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara J. Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Office Building ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Attributes ◽  
Building Adaptation ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to investigated the importance of environmental attributes for office building adaptation and whether the importance of environmental attributes for adaptation has changed over time from 1998-2008 to 2009-2011. With 1-2 per cent added to the total stock of buildings each year and the need to take action to mitigate the impacts of predicted climate change (IPCC, 2013), it is necessary to focus efforts on adaptation of existing buildings. Design/methodology/approach – This research adopted a quantitative approach, using a database of office building attributes and applying principal component analysis to ascertain the respective importance of various building attributes in adaptation. Using two databases; the first dating from 1998 to 2008 and comprising 5,290 adaptation events and the second covering the period 2009 to 2011 and comprising 1,272 adaptation events, a comparison of results was undertaken. Findings – The findings indicate the importance of some environmental attributes in building adaptation has changed and that legislation and changes market perceptions towards to promote built environment sustainability may be having a positive impact. The research demonstrates that different property attributes vary in importance over time and used existing buildings in an international city to confirm application to urban settlements elsewhere where existing buildings can be adapted to reduce the effect of climate change. Research limitations/implications – The databases are limited to Melbourne, Australia and to these specific points in time. It is possible that other cities are seeing changes in adaptation practices to accommodate increased awareness and the growing importance attributed to environmental issues; however, additional studies would be required to ascertain whether the level of importance was stronger or weaker than that found in Melbourne. Practical implications – The impacts of the mandatory The National Australian Built Environment Rating System energy rating tool and the Green Star voluntary tool provide actionable data for property stakeholders and the academic community. Policy-makers can see that building owners are integrating environmental attributes into their stock and that the market is shifting towards increased sustainability. This study uses real world data to feed the scholarship process, with real economic and commercial impacts. New buildings account for about 1-2 per cent of the total building stock annually and existing buildings must be adapted, and thus the questions of the success of voluntary or mandatory measures are essential to future environmental decision-making. Originality/value – This research reports on data covering all office building adaptation conducted from 1998 to 2011 in the Melbourne CBD. As such, it is a comprehensive analysis of all works undertaken and how the significance of different physical, social, economic and environmental attributes is changing over time.

scholarly journals Grain for Green Project in farmers’ minds: perceptions, aspirations and behaviours in eco-fragile region, Xinjiang, China

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Duan ◽  
Shengdong Chen ◽  
Heng Zhang ◽  
Fuchun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Influence Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Grain For Green ◽  
Grain For Green Project ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to focus on the analysis of the internal mechanism of farmers’ ecological cognition and the behaviour of Grain for Green Project (GGP), and the further relationship between ecological cognition and ecological aspiration, proposing climate change strategies and management from the perspective of farmers. Design/methodology/approach Theory of planned behaviour and social exchange theory were used to construct a theoretical framework and an ecological cognition under the influence of external factors, the aspiration and the behaviour of GGP, using ecological fragile areas in Bazhou and Changji, Xinjiang of 618 peasant households’ survey data. The structural equation model and Heckman two-step model were applied to analyse the relationship between ecological cognition and ecological aspiration of farmers, the impact of peasant households’ ecological cognition and aspiration to the behaviour of GGP and the influence factors of GGP behaviour. Findings This research’s results show that the three characterizations of ecological cognitive variables, attitude towards the behaviour (AB), subjective norms (SN) and perceived behaviour control (PBC), have significant positive impact on farmers’ GGP ecological aspiration. The comprehensive impact path coefficients of ecological cognition are PBC (0.498) > SN (0.223) > AB (0.177). Also, income change is a moderating variable, which has a significant moderating effect on the influence of AB and SN on ecological aspiration. Further, farmers’ ecological cognition has an influence on the behaviour of GGP, and the change of farmers’ income has a significant positive effect on farmers’ choice of returning farmland to forests. Practical implications The ecological protection policy suggestions and countermeasures can be drawn from the research conclusions, adapted to China’s ecologically fragile regions and even similar regions in the world to response the climate change. Originality/value Combining the theory of planning behaviour and social exchange, this paper empirically analyses the path of farmers’ ecological cognition and ecological aspiration, as well as the influencing factors.

Analysis of occupant behaviour in the use of air-conditioners in public buildings in developing countries: evidence from Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Divine Kwaku Ahadzie ◽  
Richard Opoku ◽  
Stephen Nana Opoku Ware ◽  
Henry Mensah
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Path Coefficient ◽  
Occupant Behaviour ◽  
Public Buildings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Air Conditioners ◽  
Impact Coefficient

PurposeThe use of air-conditioners (ACs) is on the increase in the developing world, with exacerbating compounding effect on carbon footprints. With this development, there is the expectation that developing countries would begin to appreciate and understand occupant behaviours in the use of ACs towards combating climate change, especially as building energy consumption is heavily influenced by the behaviour of its occupants. This study aims to identify occupant behaviours that leads to efficient use of ACs in public buildings so that these can be factored into developing guidelines for improving energy efficiency in buildings.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), survey questionnaire was used to collect data in office buildings in Kumasi, Ghana. Partial least squares–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was employed for the analysis.FindingsSwitching on fan(s) as alternative to ACs has a path coefficient of 0.527, suggesting that it will have the most positive impact on energy consumption as far as AC use is concerned. The second occupant behaviour with a positive impact on energy consumption for AC use is opening windows for natural ventilation accounting for 0.351 significant path coefficient. Wearing of light or heavy clothing as a means of conserving energy achieved 0.174 impact coefficient while occupant behaviour of switching off ACs when leaving the room came last in the ranking, with an impact coefficient of 0.146. TBP is validated in this model, given that all the four occupant behaviours had their perceived behavioural control (PBC) having less impact on the behaviour compared to the behavioural attitude (BA) and the subjective norm (SN).Research limitations/implicationsThis research focused on public buildings used as offices, and the findings may not be applicable to private company buildings and also residential properties. Given that Ghana and, for that matter, many developing countries rely heavily on thermal plant for electricity generation, the climate change implications of the findings are discussed.Practical implicationsIt is recommended that behaviours of occupants should be considered and factored in building energy predictions to bridge the energy performance gap. Subsequently, project managers, designers and energy consultants are encouraged to provide fans and openable windows in offices, even if there is going to be an air-conditioning provisions.Originality/valueOriginality emanates from the paper being at the forefront of helping to understand occupants' behaviour in the use ACs and associated climate change implications in a developing country context. One of the new variables introduced, switching on fans as an alternative to ACs, achieved the highest path coefficient and has important implication for occupant behaviour in the use of ACs in the literature.

scholarly journals Assessing The Long- and Short-Run Asymmetrical Effects of Climate Change On Rice Production: Empirical Evidence From India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imran Ali Baig ◽  
Abbas Ali Chandio ◽  
Ilhan Ozturk ◽  
Pushp Kumar ◽  
Zeeshan Anis Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Granger Causality ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Rice Production ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Mean Temperature ◽  
Short Run

Abstract For a couple of decades, environmental change has arisen as a ubiquitous problem and gained environmentalist's attention across the globe due to its long-term harmful effect on agricultural production, food supply, water supply and livelihoods of rural poor. The primary objective of this study is to explore the asymmetrical dynamic relationship between climate change and production of rice and controlled variables covering 1991–2018 by employing the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model and Granger causality approach.in India. The NARDL findings demonstrate a significant negative relationship between mean temperature and production of rice in the long run while positively influencing rice production in the short run. Moreover, positive shocks in rainfall and carbon emission have a negative and significant effect on India's rice production in the long and short run. In comparison, negative shock in rainfall has a significant positive impact on rice production in the long and short run. Wald test confirms the asymmetrical relationship between climate change and rice production. The Granger causality test shows feedback effect among mean temperature, decreasing rainfall, increasing carbon emission, and rice production. While no causal relationship between increasing temperature and decreasing carbon emission. Based on our empirical investigations, some critical policy implications emerged. To sustain rice production, improve irrigation infrastructure through increasing public investment and develop climate-resilient seeds varieties to cope with climate change. Along with, at the district level government should provide proper training to farmers regarding the usage of pesticides, proper amount of fertiliser and irrigation systems.

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