Mandatory ESG Reporting and Corporate Performance

Antonio B. Vazquez () and Sofia Martinez ()
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Antonio B. Vazquez: Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets (Misum), Postal: Stockholm School of Economics, P.O. Box 6501, SE-113 83 Stockholm, Sweden, https://www.hhs.se/sv/persons/v/vazquez-antonio/
Sofia Martinez: Stockholm School of Economics, Postal: Stockholm School of Economics, P.O. Box 6501, SE-113 83 Stockholm, Sweden

No 2022-5, Misum Working Paper Series from Stockholm School of Economics, Mistra Center for Sustainable Markets (Misum)

Abstract: We examine the effects of mandatory ESG reporting on firms’ corporate performance. Using variation from Sweden’s size-based ESG reporting reg- ulation, which requires medium private firms to start reporting ESG infor- mation from 2017 onward, we document that mandatory ESG reporting im- proves firms’ corporate performance. This finding is consistent with two non- mutually exclusive mechanisms: (1) disclosing ESG information enlarges the opportunity set of mandated firms to enter larger supply chains, and (2) cap- ital providers incorporate ESG information in their debt pricing decisions. In addition, we document the ESG disclosure dynamics of private firms in both a voluntary and a mandatory regime. Our results withstand several robustness tests and an alternative research design. Collectively, our findings provide insights into the consequences of mandatory ESG reporting at the firm level.

Keywords: private firms; mandatory ESG reporting; regression discontinuity design; difference-in-differences design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G38 K22 M14 M41 M48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 52 pages
Date: 2022-01-10, Revised 2023-01-30
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-acc, nep-cfn, nep-law and nep-reg
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