Greenhouse Gas Disclosure and Emissions Benchmarking

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Tomar, Sorabh
• 署名单位: Southern Methodist University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-8456
• DOI: 10.1111/1475-679X.12473
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 451-492
• 关键词: Information disclosure; political-economy; MARKET; MODEL; firm

摘要

I examine the effects of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Program, which requires thousands of industrial facilities to measure and report their GHG emissions. I show that facilities reduce their GHG emissions by 7.9% following the disclosure of emissions data. The evidence indicates that benchmarking-whereby facilities use the disclosures of their peers to assess their own relative GHG performance-spurs emission reductions. Firms' concerns about future legislation appear to motivate this behavior and measurement alone (without disclosure) seems not to reduce emissions. My study highlights how mandatory GHG disclosure can create real effects for peers.