IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/glofin/v55y2023ics1044028322001077.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Firm-level risk of climate change: Evidence from climate disasters

Author

Listed:
  • Ai, Li
  • Gao, Lucia S.

Abstract

While climate change impacts most regions, a company's physical location and geographic diversification could determine how it is affected by the risks associated with climate change. We explore information from extreme climate events to study whether and how they affect firm-level risks. The results indicate a positive association between a firm's exposure to catastrophic climate events, measured by headquarters and affiliation's locations and systematic and idiosyncratic volatility, suggesting that this risk is somewhat unpredictable and undiversifiable. Furthermore, geographic dispersion increases firms' exposure to extreme climate event risks. Our results also indicate that this effect is more pronounced in industries in which environmental issues are financially material and is mitigated by better environmental performance of the firm. In addition, the effect increases with investor awareness. Overall, our research contributes to a better understanding of businesses' exposure to the risks associated with climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Ai, Li & Gao, Lucia S., 2023. "Firm-level risk of climate change: Evidence from climate disasters," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:glofin:v:55:y:2023:i:c:s1044028322001077
    DOI: 10.1016/j.gfj.2022.100805
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1044028322001077
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.gfj.2022.100805?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rebecca N. Hann & Maria Ogneva & Oguzhan Ozbas, 2013. "Corporate Diversification and the Cost of Capital," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(5), pages 1961-1999, October.
    2. Massa, Massimo & Zhang, Lei, 2021. "The Spillover Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Corporate Bonds and the Choice Between Bank and Bond Financing," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 56(3), pages 885-913, May.
    3. Jean-Noël Barrot & Julien Sauvagnat, 2016. "Input Specificity and the Propagation of Idiosyncratic Shocks in Production Networks," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(3), pages 1543-1592.
    4. Robert F Engle & Stefano Giglio & Bryan Kelly & Heebum Lee & Johannes Stroebel, 2020. "Hedging Climate Change News," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1184-1216.
    5. Bouslah, Kais & Kryzanowski, Lawrence & M’Zali, Bouchra, 2013. "The impact of the dimensions of social performance on firm risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1258-1273.
    6. Po-Hsuan Hsu & Hsiao-Hui Lee & Shu-Cing Peng & Long Yi, 2018. "Natural Disasters, Technology Diversity, and Operating Performance," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(4), pages 619-630, October.
    7. Jawad M Addoum & David T Ng & Ariel Ortiz-Bobea & Harrison Hong, 2020. "Temperature Shocks and Establishment Sales," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1331-1366.
    8. Shashwat Alok & Nitin Kumar & Russ Wermers & Harrison Hong, 2020. "Do Fund Managers Misestimate Climatic Disaster Risk," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1146-1183.
    9. Painter, Marcus, 2020. "An inconvenient cost: The effects of climate change on municipal bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(2), pages 468-482.
    10. Huynh, Thanh D. & Nguyen, Thu Ha & Truong, Cameron, 2020. "Climate risk: The price of drought," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    11. Balvers, Ronald & Du, Ding & Zhao, Xiaobing, 2017. "Temperature shocks and the cost of equity capital: Implications for climate change perceptions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 18-34.
    12. Arena, Matteo P. & Roper, Andrew H., 2010. "The effect of taxes on multinational debt location," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 637-654, December.
    13. Lisa Zaval & Elizabeth A. Keenan & Eric J. Johnson & Elke U. Weber, 2014. "How warm days increase belief in global warming," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(2), pages 143-147, February.
    14. Rehse, Dominik & Riordan, Ryan & Rottke, Nico & Zietz, Joachim, 2019. "The effects of uncertainty on market liquidity: Evidence from Hurricane Sandy," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(2), pages 318-332.
    15. Mahfuja Malik, 2015. "Value-Enhancing Capabilities of CSR: A Brief Review of Contemporary Literature," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 419-438, March.
    16. Huang, Qiping & Lin, Meimei, 2022. "Do climate risk beliefs shape corporate social responsibility?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    17. William N. Goetzmann & Dasol Kim & Alok Kumar & Qin Wang, 2015. "Weather-Induced Mood, Institutional Investors, and Stock Returns," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 28(1), pages 73-111.
    18. Flammer, Caroline, 2021. "Corporate green bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 499-516.
    19. Prayag Lal Yadav & Seung Hun Han & Jae Jeung Rho, 2016. "Impact of Environmental Performance on Firm Value for Sustainable Investment: Evidence from Large US Firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 402-420, September.
    20. Darwin Choi & Zhenyu Gao & Wenxi Jiang, 2020. "Attention to Global Warming," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1112-1145.
    21. Dessaint, Olivier & Matray, Adrien, 2017. "Do managers overreact to salient risks? Evidence from hurricane strikes," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(1), pages 97-121.
    22. Chollet, Pierre & Sandwidi, Blaise W., 2018. "CSR engagement and financial risk: A virtuous circle? International evidence," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 65-81.
    23. Rajan, Raghuram G & Zingales, Luigi, 1995. "What Do We Know about Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(5), pages 1421-1460, December.
    24. Li Cai & Jinhua Cui & Hoje Jo, 2016. "Corporate Environmental Responsibility and Firm Risk," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 563-594, December.
    25. Markus Baldauf & Lorenzo Garlappi & Constantine Yannelis & José Scheinkman, 2020. "Does Climate Change Affect Real Estate Prices? Only If You Believe In It," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1256-1295.
    26. Philipp Krueger & Zacharias Sautner & Laura T Starks, 2020. "The Importance of Climate Risks for Institutional Investors," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1067-1111.
    27. J. Farmer & Cameron Hepburn & Penny Mealy & Alexander Teytelboym, 2015. "A Third Wave in the Economics of Climate Change," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 62(2), pages 329-357, October.
    28. García, Diego & Norli, Øyvind, 2012. "Geographic dispersion and stock returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(3), pages 547-565.
    29. Paul C. Godfrey & Craig B. Merrill & Jared M. Hansen, 2009. "The relationship between corporate social responsibility and shareholder value: an empirical test of the risk management hypothesis," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 425-445, April.
    30. Hong, Harrison & Li, Frank Weikai & Xu, Jiangmin, 2019. "Climate risks and market efficiency," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 208(1), pages 265-281.
    31. Deng, Saiying & Mao, Connie X. & Xia, Cong, 2021. "Bank Geographic Diversification and Corporate Innovation: Evidence from the Lending Channel," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 56(3), pages 1065-1096, May.
    32. Pierre Chollet & Blaise Sandwidi, 2018. "CSR engagement and financial risk: A virtuous circle? International evidence," Post-Print hal-02048716, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nguyen, Dat Thanh & Tran, Vuong Thao & Phan, Dinh Hoang Bach, 2023. "Does green activity impact stock price crash risk? The role of climate risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PA).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Venturini, Alessio, 2022. "Climate change, risk factors and stock returns: A review of the literature," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Siamak Javadi & Abdullah‐Al Masum & Mohsen Aram & Ramesh P. Rao, 2023. "Climate change and corporate cash holdings: Global evidence," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 52(2), pages 253-295, June.
    3. Reghezza, Alessio & Altunbas, Yener & Marques-Ibanez, David & Rodriguez d’Acri, Costanza & Spaggiari, Martina, 2022. "Do banks fuel climate change?," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    4. Mbanyele, William & Muchenje, Linda Tinofirei, 2022. "Climate change exposure, risk management and corporate social responsibility: Cross-country evidence," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    5. Huang, Qiping & Lin, Meimei, 2022. "Do climate risk beliefs shape corporate social responsibility?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    6. Javadi, Siamak & Masum, Abdullah-Al, 2021. "The impact of climate change on the cost of bank loans," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    7. Nora Pankratz & Christoph M. Schiller, 2022. "Climate Change and Adaptation in Global Supply-Chain Networks," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2022-056, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    8. Braun, Alexander & Braun, Julia & Weigert, Florian, 2023. "Extreme weather risk and the cost of equity," CFR Working Papers 23-08, University of Cologne, Centre for Financial Research (CFR).
    9. Stefano Giglio & Bryan Kelly & Johannes Stroebel, 2021. "Climate Finance," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 13(1), pages 15-36, November.
    10. Ma, Rui & Marshall, Ben R. & Nguyen, Hung T. & Nguyen, Nhut H. & Visaltanachoti, Nuttawat, 2022. "Climate events and return comovement," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    11. Kakuho Furukawa & Hibiki Ichiue & Noriyuki Shiraki, 2020. "How Does Climate Change Interact with the Financial System? A Survey," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 20-E-8, Bank of Japan.
    12. Pástor, Ľuboš & Stambaugh, Robert F. & Taylor, Lucian A., 2022. "Dissecting green returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 403-424.
    13. Ströbel, Johannes & Wurgler, Jeffrey, 2021. "What do you think about climate finance?," CEPR Discussion Papers 16622, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    14. Ricardo Correa & Ai He & Christoph Herpfer & Ugur Lel, 2022. "The rising tide lifts some interest rates: climate change, natural disasters, and loan pricing," International Finance Discussion Papers 1345, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    15. Carè, R. & Weber, O., 2023. "How much finance is in climate finance? A bibliometric review, critiques, and future research directions," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    16. Elsa Allman, 2022. "Pricing climate change risk in corporate bonds," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 23(7), pages 596-618, December.
    17. Roy Kouwenberg & Chenglong Zheng, 2023. "A Review of the Global Climate Finance Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-32, January.
    18. Gong, Xu & Fu, Chengbo & Huang, Qiping & Lin, Meimei, 2022. "International political uncertainty and climate risk in the stock market," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    19. Cepni, Oguzhan & Demirer, Riza & Pham, Linh & Rognone, Lavinia, 2023. "Climate uncertainty and information transmissions across the conventional and ESG assets," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    20. Duc Duy Nguyen & Steven Ongena & Shusen Qi & Vathunyoo Sila, 2022. "Climate Change Risk and the Cost of Mortgage Credit [Does climate change affect real estate prices? Only if you believe in it]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(6), pages 1509-1549.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Firm risk; Climate change; Disaster events; Investor awareness;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:glofin:v:55:y:2023:i:c:s1044028322001077. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620162 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.