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The Relationship between Environmental Information Disclosure and Profitability: A Comparison between Different Disclosure Styles

Author

Listed:
  • Hua Yin

    (College of Economics and Management, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China)

  • Mingyu Li

    (College of Economics and Management, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China)

  • Yuan Ma

    (College of Economics and Management, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China)

  • Qiang Zhang

    (College of Economics and Management, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China)

Abstract

Combined with the existing research gap, this paper divides firms’ environmental information disclosure styles into two types: Substantive style and symbolic style. This paper elaborates on the relationship between environmental information disclosure and firms’ profitability of these two disclosure types and tests this relationship using the data from 676 firms employed from the heave-polluting industry. Considering the endogenous and heteroscedasticity problems, 2-stage least squares method and weighted least square method were adopted. The results showed that (1) positive relationships exist between environmental information disclosure and profitability for both types; and (2) the contribution of symbolic-style disclosure to profitability is larger than that of substantive-style disclosure. These findings are important for corporate managers and highlight some policy implications in developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Hua Yin & Mingyu Li & Yuan Ma & Qiang Zhang, 2019. "The Relationship between Environmental Information Disclosure and Profitability: A Comparison between Different Disclosure Styles," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-14, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:9:p:1556-:d:228138
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    3. Yongliang Yang & Jin Wen & Yi Li, 2020. "The Impact of Environmental Information Disclosure on the Firm Value of Listed Manufacturing Firms: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Wen-Jun Tu & Xiao-Guang Yue & Wei Liu & M. James C. Crabbe, 2020. "Valuation Impacts of Environmental Protection Taxes and Regulatory Costs in Heavy-Polluting Industries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Alberto Barroso Del Toro & Laura Vivas Crisol & Xavier Tort-Martorell, 2022. "The Sustainability Narrative: A Multi Study Using Event Studies to Analyse the American Energy Companies Shareholder’s Reaction to Sustainability News," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-17, November.
    6. Xiaowei Ding & Lyu Ye & Yueying Yang & Olga Efimova & Alina Steblyanskaya & Junfeng Zhang, 2022. "The Impact Mechanism of Environmental Information Disclosure on Corporate Sustainability Performance—Micro-Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, September.

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