Assessing environmental information disclosures and the effects of Chinese nonferrous metal companies

Abstract

Corporate environmental information disclosures (EIDs) are important policy tools for environmental protection. This paper assesses and longitudinally examines EID changes in Chinese listed nonferrous metal companies from 2008 to 2012 through their annual, social responsibility, environmental, and sustainability reports. Using content analysis and multivariate regression methods, we find a significant increase in the quantity and quality of corporate EIDs post-2010, though the overall level is still not high. Company size, profitability, and government regulation significantly and positively affect EID. In addition, we find that state-owned enterprises are more likely to disclose environmental information than private ones.