Sustainable Development and Corporate Environmental Responsibility: Evidence from Chinese Corporations

China is currently experiencing rapid economic growth. The price of this, however, is environment pollution. Many Chinese corporations are lacking in corporate environmental responsibility (CER). Therefore, this study employs data from Chinese and multinational corporations to identify why Chinese corporations seldom engage in CER by investigating their motivations and stakeholders. The results show that the most important reason why Chinese corporations do not engage in CER is the fact that their competitive strategy of cost cutting makes them limited in resources, such as money, employees, information, or added value. Further study implies that Chinese corporations face more survival pressure, though they are willing to take environmental responsibilities as multinational corporations do. The results also imply that government and social surroundings can play an important role to arouse CER consciousness of Chinese corporations in all stakeholders. Consequently, Chinese government has a heavy duty to promote corporations to respond to their CER in the long run.     

雾霾污染、经营绩效与企业环境社会责任

本文采用我国沪深两市2010—2016年A股上市公司数据与哥伦比亚大学社会经济数据和应用中心发布的PM2.5浓度数据,基于固定效应模型研究了雾霾污染对企业环境社会责任履行情况的影响。实证分析结果表明:我国各地市的雾霾污染对企业环境社会责任具有正向影响,即本地雾霾污染越严重,企业承担环境社会责任就越多。进一步的分析发现:雾霾污染会削弱经营绩效对企业环境社会责任履行情况的正向影响,即雾霾污染越严重,经营绩效对企业环境社会责任的正向影响越弱。本文的研究结论不仅揭示了雾霾对企业环境社会责任的正向影响,也揭示了雾霾污染对经营绩效和企业环境责任之间关系的调节影响。该结论对于加强雾霾治理和推动企业良好履行环境社会责任具有积极的作用。     

制度压力对企业环境责任的影响——来自中国上市公司的证据

环境问题是社会各界广泛关注的焦点,而企业是造成环境污染的主体之一,也是环境制度压力的主要调控对象,如何引导和控制企业履行环境责任已成为一个亟须研究的重大议题。根据制度理论,以中国上市公司7459个观测值为基础,采用固定效应模型系统评估了制度压力对企业环境责任的影响,还引入企业环境战略、内部控制作为调节变量进行分析。研究结果表明：制度压力能显著促进企业环境责任的提升;企业环境战略、内部控制等因素正向调节了制度压力与企业环境责任的关系,并且制度压力对企业环境责任的影响在非国有企业、地方国有企业中更强。以上结论在一系列的稳健性检验、反事实检验之后依然成立。这些结论启发了企业管理者运用企业环境战略、内部控制等企业自身因素强化企业环境责任,同时为政府根据企业不同情况有针对性地制定环境政策提供了理论依据。     

异质性企业环境责任与碳绩效的关系研究：媒体关注和环境规制的联合调节效应

“双碳”愿景下微观企业层面的环境责任受到更多关注。本文运用Python获取2014—2019年中国A股上市工业企业数据,分析了异质性企业环境责任对碳绩效的影响,探讨了媒体关注和环境规制在其中的联合调节效应。研究表明：履行前瞻型环境责任和反应型环境责任均对企业碳绩效有显著的增进作用;媒体关注可以正向调节前瞻型企业环境责任和碳绩效的关系,但在反应型企业环境责任与碳绩效间的调节作用不显著。进一步研究发现：环境规制与媒体关注在反应型企业环境责任和碳绩效间产生正向联合调节作用,而在前瞻型环境责任与碳绩效间的联合调节作用不显著。研究结果支持了政府和媒体对企业环境责任的正式和非正式治理效果,进而提高了企业碳绩效的作用逻辑,拓展了对企业碳绩效影响因素以及异质性企业环境责任的理论研究,将环境治理他治和自治相结合,为多元环境治理主体协同联动推进“双碳”目标顺利实现提供新思路和参考证据。     

碳责任账户的目标原则、分配逻辑与框架构建：账户建立

随着全球环境问题日趋严重,企业和消费者日益认识到减缓气候变化的紧迫性。作为经济活动的主要参与者,减少温室气体排放已经成为任何单个企业及其供应链的巨大挑战。供应链的所有参与者都需要为气候减缓做出努力。现有的碳排放责任核算大多从企业的生产方面入手。最终消费者作为供应链的重要参与者,是所有生产者的最终服务对象,同样具有不可忽视的碳减排作用以及应承担的碳减排责任。本文提出以产品为导向,考虑产品生产过程中的直接碳排放和间接碳排放,建立产品碳排放基准值,对基于供应链的所有参与主体进行责任分配,进而建立基于供应链的碳责任账户。本文构建的责任体系框架具有更广泛、更有前景的应用潜力。     

Corporate Social Responsibility in the extractive industries: Experiences from developing countries

This paper introduces a special issue on ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in the extractive industries: experiences from developing countries’. Drawing upon case study analysis from Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, the papers in this issue broaden understanding of how multinational mining and oil and gas companies have embraced the CSR challenge and responded to criticisms of their performance in developing countries. This paper provides an introduction to the debate on CSR in the extractive industries in developing countries, reviewing the key issues examined on this subject to date.     

生态文明建设:多元主体生态责任的困境与培育

中国生态文明建设的成功需要多元主体生态责任的现实担当,这种担当主要是通过政府、企业、环保NGO、公民个体等多元主体的观念、行动的"生态化"过程来体现的。在社会主义初级阶段,多元主体生态责任的现实担当还存在着一定困境,因而,寻求多元主体生态责任的缺失原因与培育路径,对我国社会主义生态文明建设具有一定的现实意义。     

Corporate social responsibility, partnerships, and institutional change: The case of mining companies in South Africa

Internationally and in South Africa, mining companies are increasingly referring to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and partnerships in terms of the business case, or the expectation that being responsible and collaborating with stakeholders is good for profits. Based on a case study of platinum and chrome mining in South Africa, this article argues that the business case is circumscribed by companies’ institutional context. In the past, mining companies’ dominant interpretation of CSR has been in terms of charitable donations and support to good causes. These efforts have not alleviated the contribution of mining companies to growing social problems around the mines, primarily because they have not impacted on core business practices and have not contributed to necessary cross‐sectoral collaboration. Recently, however, there has been an important transition involving the broadening of the interpretation of CSR and increasing commitment to these issues amongst corporate leadership. Though market‐based incentives have contributed to this, the key driver has been the State's legislated transformation programme premised on State sovereignty over mineral resources. Hence, while the interrelationship between companies and their institutional context has, in the past, brought about a vicious cycle of irresponsibility and minimal collaboration, this cycle may be reversed into a virtuous one, driven in particular by the State. The broader implication is that references to a business case for CSR and partnerships cannot be relied upon independently of continued efforts at shaping the public sector context of companies.     

Corporate Ethics in the Era of Globalization: The Promise and Peril of International Environmental Standards

The growing assumption thattransnational corporations (TNCs) will apply``best practice' and ``international standards'in their operations in developing countries hasseldom been checked against close observationof corporate behavior. In this article, Ipresent a case study, based on field research,of one voluntary initiative to useinternational standards and best practice forenvironmental protection in the AmazonRainforest, by a US-based oil company,Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) in Ecuador. The moststriking finding is that the company refuses todisclose the precise standards that apply toits operations. This, and the refusal todisclose other important environmentalinformation, make it impossible to verifyindependently Oxy's claims of environmentalexcellence, or assess the effectiveness of theinitiative. At the same time, Oxy uses theinvocation of international standards to wrapitself in a veneer of corporate responsibility;reassure government officials and localresidents; cultivate confusion about standardsand practices that apply to the operations;deflect meaningful oversight and transparency;and arbitrarily legitimize norms that have beendefined by special interests. In short,international standards offer great promise forneeded environmental improvements; but can alsobe used to impede, rather than advance,corporate responsibility and the development ofeffective environmental law at the nationallevel. These findings suggest that for theapplication of international standards to bemeaningful, the international community needsto move beyond statements of principle anddevelop mechanisms that can be used toevaluate, verify, and monitor independentlyenvironmental claims by TNCs.     

Adding public value: The limits of corporate responsibility

It is suggested that natural resource companies undertaking large-scale projects may be expanding the scope of corporate social responsibility by working to enhance the capabilities of the public sector. Naturally companies are concerned to protect their investments, and to ensure their viability. They will therefore invest in necessary infrastructure and facilities of all types, where those are lacking. Such investment often provides benefits to the wider community, but with a few exceptions these are normally incidental byproducts rather than inherent objectives. The motivation for companies to provide resources of all types in order to enhance the capabilities of the public sector to provide public services is usually an expectation is that the tangible benefits will exceed the costs, rather than altruism. One driving force is to secure and maintain a company's social licence to operate. More recently competition from Chinese firms is prompting private sector companies to offer comparable investments in infrastructure. It is unclear whether investment in public sector capabilities is cyclical and liable to cutbacks when market conditions deteriorate. Changing market conditions affect not just corporate willingness to spend but also host countries’ bargaining strengths. In boom periods host countries will be more able to secure straightforward financial benefits through higher tax receipts than when markets are weak. Beyond the specific needs of individual projects corporate policies are strongly influenced by the beliefs of senior managers. External pressures both from international institutions and from NGOs also drive corporate behaviour. The success of investment in public sector capabilities relies in the end on the responses of host countries, and on how closely the objectives and interests of the government are aligned with maximising the nation's long term wealth and welfare. Where they are not corporate resources may be frittered away. There are also questions over the legitimacy of corporate investments, especially by foreign-owned companies. They have a right to offer advice and protect their legitimate interests, but these may not always coincide with those of their host countries. There is a range of questions about the appropriate role of companies, which lead on to feasible and effective ways of improving weak governance.     

Corporate Social Responsibility and development in Africa: Redefining the roles and responsibilities of public and private actors in the mining sector

This paper revisits the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), suggesting the usefulness of adopting a holistic and historical perspective. It underlines the importance of taking into account the evolving regulatory frameworks within which mining activities take place in order to consider the changing roles played by the various actors involved, whether multilateral, national or local, public or private. In this broad context it then becomes possible to revisit issues of legitimacy, responsibility, and accountability, which CSR strategies aim to address. The article draws attention to the shortcomings of strategies, whether bilateral or multilateral, public or private, which, in an attempt to respond to problems of risk and legitimacy faced by mining companies, have put forward measures in the name of CSR that do not address the origins that give rise to such problems and, in so doing, tend to mask the very nature of the difficulties at hand. The analysis leads to quite different conclusions as compared to those that result from the adoption of a shorter term and investment-led perspective.     

The mining industry and the community: joining forces for sustainable social development

This article joins the continuing policy debate over the social responsibility of corporations, particularly in the mining industry. The author argues that the 'old school mining orthodoxy'—approaching the exploitation of mineral deposits solely from the technical and economic points of view—is long dead. Mining companies must also encompass the social dimension.
New policies for the mining industry are discussed in terms of recent worldwide trends and movements, e.g. globalization, economic interdependence and decentralization of governmental authority, and the rise of civil society as a political factor. These trends, together with the United Nations policies in quest of sustainable development and the consensus expressed at international conferences during the last decade, have deepened social awareness and set the stage for enhanced social responsiveness from the private sector. Socially responsible corporate policies include decentralization of decision-making to the field level, reaching out to stakeholders and shareholders, supporting governments which provide official development assistance for good governance and building broad partnerships to reduce social exposures.     

The Making of Local Agenda 21: An interview with Jeb Brugmann

In the overlaps between the academic and policy fields of disability and the environment lie a myriad of issues, both complementary and conflicting, which have to date received little attention. This paper aims to draw together the small amount of literature – both academic and non-academic – which has addressed such issues and begins to map both the nature and extent of the overlaps. It discusses key themes that have emerged from the literature analysed and points to a number of areas and issues which may well benefit from further research. In particular, it highlights the invisibility of disabled people, and the consequences which arise, in many areas of environmental concern.     

Agriculture in the Slovenian Transitional Economy: The Preservation of Genetic Diversity of Plants and Ethical Consequences

Slovene agriculture is going throughdrastic changes. Most of the land is stillowned by small farmers. The production isoriented to the market and is based on modernWestern technology. It is associated withincreasing pollution and is becoming a seriousthreat to biodiversity. Many of the wild plantsare endangered due to genetic erosion withinspecies. The traditional crops and varietiesare being replaced by imported materials andthe use of chemicals has been increasing. Manyof the traditional varieties have beenneglected and/or lost. The existing germplasmcollections are incomplete and frequently donot include traditional varieties. There areonly a few breeding organizations with limitedcapacities and collections. The legislation isnot efficient enough to protect the environmentand biotic diversity. Schools, media,religious, sport, tourist, and otherorganizations should be more active inpromoting the respect for biodiversity.     

The channels of the effect of government expenditure on the environment: evidence using dynamic panel data

This paper explores the relationship between government spending and environmental quality using panel data for 94 countries for the period 1970–2008. We identify and estimate three distinct channels that comprise the total direct effect of government expenditure on air pollution, namely a marginal effect, an effect conditional on economic growth and an effect conditional on institutional quality. Since adjustment rate of emissions to their equilibrium level is slow due to technological and institutional reasons, we explicitly take into account dynamics by applying appropriate econometric methods. The results demonstrate that there is a significant alleviating direct effect of government expenditure on SO₂ and NO_x emissions, which increases with the level of economic growth and democracy. However, there is no evidence of a significant effect on pollutants with more global impact on the environment and human health, like N₂O and CO₂, implying that the adoption of international environmental treaties is required in this case.     

The importance of context for effective public engagement: learning from the governance of waste

This paper takes a new look at the importance of context – institutional and political – in effective public engagement processes. It does so through a rare comparative opportunity to examine the effectiveness of processes of public engagement in two UK waste authorities, where the same waste company was involved as both the primary contractor for the delivery of the waste management service (including new energy-from-waste facilities) and, furthermore, the same staff delivered the public engagement. Interrogating these cases affords the opportunity to place flesh on the bones of the sometimes ‘abstract’ skeleton of context. While engagement processes support effective local governance in an era of partnerships and deliberative democracy, the paper identifies that the methods adopted cannot be played out devoid of detailed understanding and response to local context, including the strength of partnership working between the public and private sector, the degree of political support for engagement, and the extent to which a traditional institutional paternalism still dominates.     

Corporate social responsibility and petroleum development in sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Chad

This paper contributes to the debate on governance, transparency and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in oil-rich sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the case of Chad. Over the past decade, Chad has gained international standing as an oil-producer on the back of the World Bank-catalyzed Chad–Cameroon pipeline project, which aims to develop the country's oil-rich Doba region. The analysis begins by examining at greater length the challenges to implementing a CSR agenda in fragile states such as Chad, highlighting, specifically, the barriers to facilitating development in environments exhibiting Dutch Disease-like symptoms. It subsequently critiques CSR programs in resource-rich developing countries, questioning the role of corporate intervention in such settings. The paper concludes by examining how CSR has been “operationalized” in Chad itself, where to ensure that the finances generated from the oil project are properly managed, the Bank instituted a comprehensive revenue management plan.     

Strategies to overcome barriers to the development of sustainable agriculture in Canada: The role of agribusiness

Strategies to involve agribusiness in the development of sustainable agricultural systems have been limited by the lack of a comprehensive conceptual framework for identifying the most critical supportive policies, programs and regulations. In this paper, we propose an efficiency/substitution/redesign framework to categorize strategies for modifying agribusiness practices. This framework is then used to identify a diverse range of short, medium, and long-term strategies to be pursued by governments, community groups, academics and agribusiness to support the transition. Strategies discussed include corporate greening, ethical investment, changing the legal status of the corporaton, new business forms and the development of ecological economics.     

The Food Debate: Ethical versus Substantial Equivalence

Substantial equivalence (SE) has beenintroduced to assess novel foods, includinggenetically modified (GM) food, by means ofcomparison with traditional food. Besides anumber of objections concerning its scientificvalidity for risk assessment, the maindifficulty with SE is that it implies that foodcan be qualified on a purely substantial basis.SE embodies the assumption that only reductivescientific arguments are legitimate fordecision-making in public policy due to theemphasis on legal issues. However, the surge ofthe food debate clearly shows that thistechnocratic model is not accepted anymore.Food is more than physico-chemical substanceand encompasses values such as quality andethics. These values are legitimate in theirown right and require that new democraticprocesses are set up for transverse,transdisciplinary assessment in partnershipwith society. The notion of equivalence canprovide a reference scale in which to examinethe various legitimate factors involved:substance (SE), quality (QualitativeEquivalence: QE), and ethics (EthicalEquivalence: EE). QE requires that newqualitative methods of evaluation that are notbased on reductive principles are developed. EEcan provide a basis for the development of anEthical Assurance as a counterpart of QualityAssurance in the food sector. In France, asecond circle of expertise is being set up toaddress the social issues in food public policybeside classical risk assessment by the firstcircle of expertise. Since ethics is likely tobecome an organizing principle of the secondcircle, the equivalence ethical framework canprove instrumental in this context.     

The science of corporate social responsibility (CSR): Contamination and conflict in a mining project in the southern Ecuadorian Andes

In this article, I explain the role that scientific studies play in shaping collaboration and conflict over mining exploration in the Ecuadorian highlands. Toronto-based IAMGOLD conducted water quality studies to simultaneously fulfill legal obligations and secure support for drilling in an environmentally sensitive zone. With these studies, IAMGOLD generated collaborative relations with local authorities and university scientists. However, water quality studies were also used by dairy farmers to establish new connections for an opposition movement. The scientific studies enabled IAMGOLD and the dairy farmers to make competing claims about the responsibility for contamination of an important watershed. This article analyzes the conflict that resulted and challenges conventional wisdom that distinguishes a corporation's legal obligations from its voluntary CSR programs.