The effect of corporate governance on carbon emission disclosures (original) (raw)

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate whether corporate governance characteristics impact the voluntary disclosure of carbon emissions. Design/methodology/approach This empirical research was carried out in two stages. Initially, the carbon disclosures data were sourced from the annual and stand-alone sustainability reports of Turkish non-financial companies listed on Borsa Istanbul during 2011-2015. Later, the corporate governance characteristics that influence carbon disclosures were examined using panel data regression models. Findings The empirical findings of this study suggested that entities with a higher number of independent directors on their boards were more likely to respond to the Carbon Disclosure Project. In addition, board nationality diversity and the existence of a sustainability committee had a significant positive impact on the propensity to disclose carbon emissions and the extent of those disclosures. Originality/value This research provides empir...