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Do investors care about biodiversity?

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandre Garel
  • Arthur Romec
  • Zacharias Sautner
  • Alexander F Wagner

Abstract

This article introduces a new measure of a firm’s negative impact on biodiversity, the corporate biodiversity footprint (CBF), and studies whether it is priced in an international sample of stocks. On average, the CBF does not explain the cross-section of returns between 2019 and 2022. However, a biodiversity footprint premium (higher returns for firms with larger footprints) began emerging in October 2021 after the Kunming Declaration, which capped the first part of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15). Consistent with this finding, stocks with large footprints lost value in the days after the Kunming Declaration. The launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in June 2021 had a similar effect. These results indicate that investors have started to require a risk premium upon the prospect of, and uncertainty about, future regulation or litigation to preserve biodiversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandre Garel & Arthur Romec & Zacharias Sautner & Alexander F Wagner, 2024. "Do investors care about biodiversity?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 28(4), pages 1151-1186.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:revfin:v:28:y:2024:i:4:p:1151-1186.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rof/rfae010
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    Cited by:

    1. Lai, Fujun & Cheng, Xianli & Li, An & Xiong, Deping & Li, Yunzhong, 2025. "Does flood risk affect the implied cost of equity capital?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    2. Flammer, Caroline & Giroux, Thomas & Heal, Geoffrey M., 2025. "Biodiversity finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    3. Zhang, Mengzhi & He, Wenjian, 2025. "Encouraging or inhibiting: Can analyst attention reduce corporate greenwashing behavior?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 943-962.
    4. Du, Jiangze & Liu, Fule & Hsu, Yuan-Teng & Bui, Dien Giau, 2025. "How do executives respond to biodiversity risk? Evidence from opportunistic stock selling," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    5. Feng, Lingbing & Huang, Dasen & Chen, Fengwen & Liao, Fangnan, 2024. "Leveraging climate risk disclosure for enhanced corporate innovation: Pathways to sustainable and resilient business practices," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    6. Becker, Annette & Di Girolamo, Francesca Erica & Rho, Caterina, 2025. "Loan pricing and biodiversity exposure: Nature-related spillovers to the financial sector," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    7. Cosma, Simona & Galletta, Simona & Mazzù, Sebastiano & Rimo, Giuseppe, 2024. "Banks' fossil fuel divestment and corporate governance: The role of board gender diversity," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    8. Matthias Efing & Stefanie Ehmann & Patrick Kampkötter & Raphael Moritz, 2024. "All Hat and No Cattle? ESG Incentives in Executive Compensation," Working Papers hal-04754859, HAL.
    9. Tian, Ye & Chen, Heng, 2025. "Eco-innovation under pressure: How biodiversity risks shape corporate sustainability strategies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    10. He, Feng & Chen, Longxuan & Lucey, Brian M., 2024. "Chinese corporate biodiversity exposure," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    11. Chen, Yinying & Yin, Liang & Hu, Shiyang & Li, Xiang, 2025. "Biodiversity conservation and corporate environmental information disclosure: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    12. Zhou, Chengchen & Chen, Yajie & Ji, Qiang & Zhang, Dayong, 2025. "Does public attention to biodiversity matter to stock markets?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    13. Yang, Guang & Li, Yu, 2025. "Research on biodiversity risk and corporate short-term debt for long-term use under disclosure regulation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    14. Beverdam, Jesper & Hubacek, Klaus & Scholtens, Bert & Sijtsma, Frans, 2025. "Improving biodiversity resilience requires both public and private finance: A life-cycle analysis of biodiversity finance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    15. Coqueret, Guillaume & Giroux, Thomas & Zerbib, Olivier David, 2025. "The biodiversity premium," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    16. Cosma, Simona & Rimo, Giuseppe & Schwizer, Paola, 2025. "Environmental controversies, environmental fines and firms’ default risk," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(PA).
    17. Zhu, Xiaoyu (Ross) & Zhou, Changyun & Zeng, Hanzhe, 2025. "Can inclusive finance curb sustainability regulatory risk for corporations?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(PA).
    18. Galema, Rients & Gerritsen, Dirk, 2025. "ESG rating changes and stock returns," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    19. Zhou, Yang & Lucey, Brian M. & He, Feng, 2025. "Dividend payouts and biodiversity risk — Chinese evidence," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics

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