Board gender diversity and corporate carbon commitment: Does industry matter?
研究了董事会性别多样性是否影响企业碳承诺,发现女性董事比例越高,企业碳承诺越强,尤其在采掘业中更显著,且达到临界数量时效果更强。
Abstract The study examines whether board gender diversity is associated with corporate carbon commitment, and if so, whether the association varies between firms operating in the extractive and non‐extractive industries. Based on insights drawn from gender socialization, resource dependence, and critical mass theories, we develop models that link board gender diversity with corporate carbon commitment. Analyzing data obtained from Standard and Poor's 1500 firms, for the period 2015 to 2019, we find that higher representation of women on a firm's board is positively associated with the firm's carbon commitment and that the association is stronger for firms in the extractive industries. Furthermore, a nominal appointment of women to a firm's board reduces the likelihood of the firm's carbon commitment being at a given or higher level, while the appointment of a “critical mass” of women to the board increases the firm's inclination toward higher carbon commitment. Our findings suggest that regulatory and policymaking agencies could exploit legislative and policy initiatives that would promote board gender diversity to encourage corporates, especially those operating in the extractive industries, to commit to the climate change cause.