IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/juipol/v84y2023ics0957178723001637.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability reporting and electric utilities: A bibliometric analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Leopizzi, Rossella
  • Palmi, Pamela
  • Di Cagno, Pierluca

Abstract

Electric utilities play a pivotal and indispensable role in facilitating the transition towards a more sustainable planet. However, it is observed that only a limited number of electric utilities have undertaken the voluntary disclosure of their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) indicators. Consequently, this situation has spurred significant academic interest, prompting scholars to initiate studies aimed at comprehending the primary implications associated with the adoption of accountability technologies by electric utilities. In light of this compelling evidence, the present article endeavors to conduct a systematic and rigorous analysis of the scholarly landscape through the application of bibliometric methods. The key outcome is the identification of three principal research areas: (i) environmental management, represented by the “green cluster,” (ii) corporate social responsibility, represented by the “blue cluster,” and (iii) accountability strategies, represented by the “red cluster.” Each of these areas offers unique insights into the efforts of electric utilities to promote and adhere to sustainable operational practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Leopizzi, Rossella & Palmi, Pamela & Di Cagno, Pierluca, 2023. "Sustainability reporting and electric utilities: A bibliometric analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juipol:v:84:y:2023:i:c:s0957178723001637
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2023.101651
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957178723001637
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jup.2023.101651?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. Aria, Massimo & Cuccurullo, Corrado, 2017. "bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 959-975.
    2. Christopher Marquis & Michael W. Toffel & Yanhua Zhou, 2016. "Scrutiny, Norms, and Selective Disclosure: A Global Study of Greenwashing," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(2), pages 483-504, April.
    3. Nancy Bocken & Lisa Smeke Morales & Matthias Lehner, 2020. "Sufficiency Business Strategies in the Food Industry—The Case of Oatly," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, January.
    4. Venturelli, Andrea & Ligorio, Lorenzo & de Nuccio, Elbano, 2023. "Biodiversity accountability in water utilities: A case study," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    5. Imperiale, Francesca & Pizzi, Simone & Lippolis, Stella, 2023. "Sustainability reporting and ESG performance in the utilities sector," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    6. Cho, Charles H. & Patten, Dennis M., 2007. "The role of environmental disclosures as tools of legitimacy: A research note," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 32(7-8), pages 639-647.
    7. Simone Pizzi & Salvatore Principale & Roberta Fasiello & Francesca Imperiale, 2023. "The institutionalisation of social and environmental accounting practices in Europe," Journal of Applied Accounting Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(5), pages 816-838, February.
    8. Branco, Manuel Castelo & Gomes, Delfina & Martins, Adelaide, 2023. "Exploring tax-related sustainability reporting by electric utilities," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    9. Nees Jan Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2010. "Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 523-538, August.
    10. Agostino Vollero & Francesca Conte & Alfonso Siano & Claudia Covucci, 2019. "Corporate social responsibility information and involvement strategies in controversial industries," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(1), pages 141-151, January.
    11. Junwen Zhu & Weishu Liu, 2020. "A tale of two databases: the use of Web of Science and Scopus in academic papers," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 123(1), pages 321-335, April.
    12. Ng, Artie W. & Nathwani, Jatin, 2012. "Sustainability performance disclosures: The case of independent power producers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 1940-1948.
    13. Jijun Gao & Pratima Bansal, 2013. "Instrumental and Integrative Logics in Business Sustainability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(2), pages 241-255, January.
    14. Pizzi, Simone & Venturelli, Andrea & Variale, Michele & Macario, Giuseppe Pio, 2021. "Assessing the impacts of digital transformation on internal auditing: A bibliometric analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    15. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
    16. Kim, Eun-Hee & Lyon, Thomas P., 2011. "Strategic environmental disclosure: Evidence from the DOE's voluntary greenhouse gas registry," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 311-326, May.
    17. Lucia Silva‐Gao, 2012. "The Disclosure of Environmental Capital Expenditures: Evidence from the Electric Utility Sector in the USA," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), pages 240-252, July.
    18. Ligorio, Lorenzo & Caputo, Fabio & Venturelli, Andrea, 2022. "Sustainability disclosure and reporting by municipally owned water utilities," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    19. Federica Doni & Silvio Bianchi Martini & Antonio Corvino & Michela Mazzoni, 2019. "Voluntary versus mandatory non-financial disclosure," Meditari Accountancy Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 28(5), pages 781-802, November.
    20. Freedman, Martin & Stagliano, A.J., 2008. "Environmental disclosures: electric utilities and Phase 2 of the Clean Air Act," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 466-486.
    21. Francesca Bartolacci & Andrea Caputo & Andrea Fradeani & Michela Soverchia, 2020. "Twenty years of XBRL: what we know and where we are going," Meditari Accountancy Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(5), pages 1113-1145, September.
    22. Hoje Jo & Haejung Na, 2012. "Does CSR Reduce Firm Risk? Evidence from Controversial Industry Sectors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(4), pages 441-456, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Nicolo, Giuseppe & Zampone, Giovanni & Sannino, Giuseppe & Tiron-Tudor, Adriana, 2023. "Worldwide evidence of corporate governance influence on ESG disclosure in the utilities sector," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    2. Mehmood, Asad & De Luca, Francesco & Quach, Hao, 2023. "Investigating how board gender diversity affects environmental, social and governance performance: Evidence from the utilities sector," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Kira R. Fabrizio & Eun-Hee Kim, 2019. "Reluctant Disclosure and Transparency: Evidence from Environmental Disclosures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(6), pages 1207-1231, November.
    4. Branco, Manuel Castelo & Gomes, Delfina & Martins, Adelaide, 2023. "Exploring tax-related sustainability reporting by electric utilities," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Xiaohua Meng & Saixing Zeng & Xuemei Xie & Hailiang Zou, 2019. "Beyond symbolic and substantive: Strategic disclosure of corporate environmental information in China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 403-417, February.
    6. Xie, Guanghua & Chen, Lin & Chen, Xichan, 2021. "The role of short selling threat in corporate environmental disclosure strategies: Evidence from China," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    7. Vitolla, Filippo & Raimo, Nicola & Campobasso, Francesco & Giakoumelou, Anastasia, 2023. "Risk disclosure in sustainability reports: Empirical evidence from the energy sector," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    8. Juan F. Prados-Castillo & Miguel Ángel Solano-Sánchez & Pilar Guaita Fernández & José Manuel Guaita Martínez, 2023. "Potential of the Crypto Economy in Financial Management and Fundraising for Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, March.
    9. Abidin Kemeç & Ayşenur Tarakcıoglu Altınay, 2023. "Sustainable Energy Research Trend: A Bibliometric Analysis Using VOSviewer, RStudio Bibliometrix, and CiteSpace Software Tools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    10. Veltri, Stefania & Bruni, Maria Elena & Iazzolino, Gianpaolo & Morea, Donato & Baldissarro, Giovanni, 2023. "Do ESG factors improve utilities corporate efficiency and reduce the risk perceived by credit lending institutions? An empirical analysis," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    11. Gabriella D’Amore & Maria Testa & Luigi Lepore, 2023. "How Is the Utilities Sector Contributing to Building a Sustainable Future? A Systematic Literature Review of Sustainability Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
    12. Andrea Caputo & Mariya Kargina, 2022. "A user-friendly method to merge Scopus and Web of Science data during bibliometric analysis," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 82-88, March.
    13. Ruggiero, Pasquale & Bachiller, Patricia, 2023. "Seeing more than reading:The visual mode in utilities' sustainability reports," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    14. Bauer, Philumena & Traxler, Albert Anton & Greiling, Dorothea, 2023. "Management control by municipal utilities for value creation to achieve the sustainable development goals," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    15. Mio, Chiara & Fasan, Marco & Scarpa, Francesco, 2023. "Materiality investor perspectives on utilities’ ESG performance. An empirical analysis of ESG factors and cost of equity," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    16. Mathieu Gomes & Sylvain Marsat & Jonathan Peillex & Guillaume Pijourlet, 2023. "Does religiosity influence corporate greenwashing behavior?," Papers 2312.14515, arXiv.org.
    17. Pizzi, Simone & Venturelli, Andrea & Variale, Michele & Macario, Giuseppe Pio, 2021. "Assessing the impacts of digital transformation on internal auditing: A bibliometric analysis," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    18. Sharma, Gagan Deep & Verma, Mahesh & Shahbaz, Muhammad & Gupta, Mansi & Chopra, Ritika, 2022. "Transitioning green finance from theory to practice for renewable energy development," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 554-565.
    19. Caroline Flammer & Michael W. Toffel & Kala Viswanathan, 2021. "Shareholder activism and firms' voluntary disclosure of climate change risks," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(10), pages 1850-1879, October.
    20. Aseem Kaul & Jiao Luo, 2018. "An economic case for CSR: The comparative efficiency of for‐profit firms in meeting consumer demand for social goods," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(6), pages 1650-1677, June.

    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:juipol:v:84:y:2023:i:c:s0957178723001637. 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: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/utilities-policy .

    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.