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How should banks govern the environment? Challenging the construction of action versus veto

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  • Andrea B. Coulson

Abstract

Over the last two decades, banks have been developing environmental credit risk assessment policies and procedures. Today, even NGOs who had been at the forefront of campaigns naming and shaming bad practices acknowledge banks are taking environmental risk management seriously. Nonetheless, they now challenge banks to go further, advocating a ‘no harm’ approach based on a so‐called ‘veto’ of investments. The author draws a post‐structuralist position on risk perception to argue a characterization of environmental governance in terms of action and veto may mislead debate. Instead, the author proposes the starting point for debate on the part banks can play in governing the environment lies in mutual agreement on precautionary action. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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  • Andrea B. Coulson, 2009. "How should banks govern the environment? Challenging the construction of action versus veto," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 149-161, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:18:y:2009:i:3:p:149-161
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.584
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. John Thalassinos & Konstantinos Liapis, 2011. "Measuring a Bank’s Financial Health: A Case Study for the Greek Banking Sector," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 135-172.
    7. Olaf Weber, 2012. "Environmental Credit Risk Management in Banks and Financial Service Institutions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(4), pages 248-263, May.
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    11. Eleftherios Thalassinos & Konstantinos Liapis & John E. Thalassinos, 2011. "The Regulation Framework for the Banking Sector: The EMU, European Banks and Rating Agencies before and during the Recent Financial and Debt Crisis," Annals of University of Craiova - Economic Sciences Series, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 1(39), pages 250-279.
    12. María Mar Miralles-Quirós & José Luis Miralles-Quirós & Jesús Redondo Hernández, 2019. "ESG Performance and Shareholder Value Creation in the Banking Industry: International Differences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-15, March.
    13. María Mar Miralles‐Quirós & José Luis Miralles‐Quirós & Jesús Redondo‐Hernández, 2019. "The impact of environmental, social, and governance performance on stock prices: Evidence from the banking industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(6), pages 1446-1456, November.
    14. Simona Galletta & Sebastiano Mazzù & Valeria Naciti, 2021. "Banks' business strategy and environmental effectiveness: The monitoring role of the board of directors and the managerial incentives," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2656-2670, July.
    15. Rong Guan & Haitao Zheng & Jie Hu & Qi Fang & Ruoen Ren, 2017. "The Higher Carbon Intensity of Loans, the Higher Non-Performing Loan Ratio: The Case of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-17, April.
    16. Sebastian Eisenbach & Dirk Schiereck & Julian Trillig & Paschen von Flotow, 2014. "Sustainable Project Finance, the Adoption of the Equator Principles and Shareholder Value Effects," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(6), pages 375-394, September.
    17. Andreas G.F. Hoepner & John O.S. Wilson, 2012. "Social, Environmental, Ethical and Trust (SEET) Issues in Banking: An Overview," Chapters, in: James R. Barth & Chen Lin & Clas Wihlborg (ed.), Research Handbook on International Banking and Governance, chapter 24, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Hu Mengze & Li Wei, 2015. "A Comparative Study on Environment Credit Risk Management of Commercial Banks in the Asia‐Pacific Region," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 159-174, March.
    19. Nguyen, Justin Hung & Shi, Jing, 2021. "Are banks really special? Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

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