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The effect of greenhouse gas emissions on cost of debt: Evidence from Canadian firms

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  • Anis Maaloul

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relation between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and cost of debt and to estimate the cost that lenders are imputing to GHG emissions. Data on GHG emissions were hand‐collected from Carbon Disclosure Project reports, whereas data on the cost of debt and other financial data were obtained from Bloomberg Professional database. Using a sample of Canadian firms, the results show that GHG emissions increase firms' cost of debt. In other words, for each additional tonne of GHG emissions, the cost of debt increases on average by 11–15%. These results imply that creditors incorporate firms' GHG emissions into their lending decisions and they penalize the polluting firms. This could encourage firms to reduce and manage their GHG emissions because there is a cost associated with these emissions. This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between GHG emissions and the cost of debt.

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  • Anis Maaloul, 2018. "The effect of greenhouse gas emissions on cost of debt: Evidence from Canadian firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(6), pages 1407-1415, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:25:y:2018:i:6:p:1407-1415
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.1662
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    2. Palea, Vera & Drogo, Federico, 2020. "Carbon Emissions and the Cost of Debt Financing: What Role for Policy Commitment, Firm Disclosure and Corporate Governance?," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202002, University of Turin.
    3. Al-Fakir Al Rabab'a, Eltayyeb & Rashid, Afzalur & Shams, Syed, 2023. "Corporate carbon performance and cost of debt: Evidence from Asia-Pacific countries," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Anis Maaloul & Daniel Zéghal & Walid Ben Amar & Sari Mansour, 2023. "The Effect of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance and Disclosure on Cost of Debt: The Mediating Effect of Corporate Reputation," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(1), pages 1-18, February.
    5. Domenico Morrone & Rosamartina Schena & Danilo Conte & Candida Bussoli & Angeloantonio Russo, 2022. "Between saying and doing, in the end there is the cost of capital: Evidence from the energy sector," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 390-402, January.
    6. Jaime F. Lavin & Alejandro A. Montecinos-Pearce, 2022. "Heterogeneous Firms and Benefits of ESG Disclosure: Cost of Debt Financing in an Emerging Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-21, November.
    7. Jing Lu & Dongning Yu & Fereshteh Mahmoudian & Jamal A. Nazari & Irene M. Herremans, 2021. "Board interlocks and greenhouse gas emissions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 92-108, January.
    8. Leitão, João & Ferreira, Joaquim & Santibanez-González, Ernesto, 2022. "New insights into decoupling economic growth, technological progress and carbon dioxide emissions: Evidence from 40 countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    9. Massimo Mariani & Fabio Pizzutilo & Alessandra Caragnano & Marianna Zito, 2021. "Does it pay to be environmentally responsible? Investigating the effect on the weighted average cost of capital: Environmental commitment and the cost of capital," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1854-1869, November.
    10. Ren, Yi-Shuai & Boubaker, Sabri & Liu, Pei-Zhi & Weber, Olaf, 2023. "How does carbon regulatory policy affect debt financing costs? Empirical evidence from China," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 77-90.
    11. Ali Meftah Gerged & Lane Matthews & Mohamed Elheddad, 2021. "Mandatory disclosure, greenhouse gas emissions and the cost of equity capital: UK evidence of a U‐shaped relationship," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 908-930, February.
    12. Nicola Raimo & Alessandra Caragnano & Marianna Zito & Filippo Vitolla & Massimo Mariani, 2021. "Extending the benefits of ESG disclosure: The effect on the cost of debt financing," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(4), pages 1412-1421, July.
    13. Cunha, Felipe Arias Fogliano de Souza & Meira, Erick & Orsato, Renato J. & Klotzle, Marcelo Cabus & Lucena, André F.P., 2021. "Do low-carbon investments in emerging economies pay off? Evidence from the Brazilian stock market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    14. Fabio Pizzutilo & Massimo Mariani & Alessandra Caragnano & Marianna Zito, 2020. "Dealing with Carbon Risk and the Cost of Debt: Evidence from the European Market," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-10, October.
    15. Hooi Hooi Lean & Fabio Pizzutilo & Kimberly Gleason, 2023. "Portfolio performance implications of investment in renewable energy equities: Green versus gray," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(6), pages 2990-3005, November.
    16. Puertas, Rosa & Carracedo, Patricia & Garcia−Mollá, Marta & Vega, Virginia, 2022. "Analysis of the determinants of market capitalisation: Innovation, climate change policies and business context," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    17. Khaled Alsaifi & Marwa Elnahass & Abdullah M. Al-Awadhi & Aly Salama, 2022. "Carbon disclosure and firm risk: evidence from the UK corporate responses to climate change," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(3), pages 505-526, September.
    18. Ozgur Isil & Rose Sebastianelli, 2020. "Arcs of carbon awareness in the value chain and their antecedents," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 503-518, February.

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