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A new measure of environmental reporting practice based on the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

Author

Listed:
  • Samira Demaria

    (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur)

  • Sandra Rigot

    (CEPN - Centre d'Economie de l'Université Paris Nord - UP13 - Université Paris 13 - USPC - Université Sorbonne Paris Cité - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Sylvain Borie

Abstract

Climate change is introducing greater risk and uncertainty into the economy and financial system. Despite wide acceptance of the need to reduce emissions, information failures limit understanding of the financial risks. As a result, the Financial Stability Board is pushing for greater disclosure via an international initiative: the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Based on content analysis of firms' reference documents over 2015-2017, this article examines CAC 40 firms' compliance with the recommendations of TCFD by building a new index (Comprehensive Compliance Index-CCI) to measure the disclosure of environmental information. Our results highlight a gradual improvement in environmental disclosure by CAC 40 companies over the three years. CCI levels were relatively satisfactory in 2015 and 2016 to the extent that the TCFD report had not yet been published, but it masks discrepancies. Sectors with high environmental impact have higher index scores than low impact sectors. In 2017, CAC 40 companies communicated the most in the areas of risk management, metrics and governance, far ahead of strategy, and there was an improvement in the environmental disclosure in each area. Finally, our content analysis allows us to develop a matrix of climate risks and opportunities per sector. JEL: M40, M14

Suggested Citation

  • Samira Demaria & Sandra Rigot & Sylvain Borie, 2019. "A new measure of environmental reporting practice based on the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures," Post-Print halshs-02407136, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-02407136
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02407136
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aldina Lopes Santos & Lúcia Lima Rodrigues, 2021. "Banks and Climate-Related Information: The Case of Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Annabelle Braasch & Patrick Velte, 2023. "Climate reporting quality following the recommendations of the task force on climate‐related financial disclosures: A Focus on the German capital market," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 926-940, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental disclosures; CSR reporting; climate-related risk; TCFD recommendations 2;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M40 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - General
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

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