Carmen Cordova, Ana Zorio-Grima and Paloma Merello
This paper aims to explore the driving forces for having carbon reporting and carbon reduction management strategies in emerging and developing countries.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the driving forces for having carbon reporting and carbon reduction management strategies in emerging and developing countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology employed uses logit and linear panel data models and generalized moments method, to avoid endogeneity problems.
Findings
The results show that the carbon reporting decision is positively related to being located in Africa or America (as opposed to Asia), publishing a sustainability report and having certain corporate governance (CG) attributes such as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) committee, larger board size and an executive compensation policy based on environmental and social performance. Regarding the driving forces leading to a reduction of carbon emissions, no evidence is obtained on the effect of the variables considered.
Practical implications
The evidence obtained is valuable, as it can help standard-setters in these geographical areas to promote actions in the field of CG to increase transparency. Nonetheless, additional measures to disclosure should be needed in the future to help decrease carbon emissions more effectively.
Social implications
Raising awareness amongst companies helps mimetic isomorphism take place so that efforts can be made to report levels of pollution in an initial phase, which hopefully in the future may be managed to try to keep a decreasing path. Therefore, implications of this research are crucial for emerging and developing countries, as they are especially vulnerable to climate change.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to look into this phenomenon in emerging and developing countries from Asia, Africa and America. This contribution is unique as this research shows that location, publication of a sustainability report together with some CG attributes are drivers for carbon transparency.
Details
Keywords
Antonio Barbera, Paloma Merello and Rafael Molina
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the determinants of corporate effective tax rates (ETR) of listed companies in euro area.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the determinants of corporate effective tax rates (ETR) of listed companies in euro area.
Design/methodology/approach
With a large and recent panel of 2,870 listed companies for the period 2005–2016, the authors use the generalized moments method (GMM) to estimate global models for three groups of countries and specific models for six selected countries: Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium and Greece.
Findings
The results confirm that ETR have different determinants depending on the countries analyzed. There is a significantly positive relationship with leverage and negative with size and financial profitability. However, economic profitability shows a statistically positive effect in the new members, but negative effect on old ones. In the individual analysis, Germany and Spain maintain this negative association with return on assets (ROA), but Belgium and Greece show a positive effect. The effect of the economic cycle shows statistically relevant, negatively in Germany but positively in Belgium and Greece.
Originality/value
This paper makes a novel contribution to the current debate on the need for harmonization of corporate income tax in the European Union (EU). For the first time, the group of countries whose common currency is the euro is considered with a great level of detail. In addition, the impact derived from the enlargement of the euro area and the individual analysis of the main countries is included. The European authorities must take into account the specific differences found in the ETR determinants because it hinders to take measures that limit tax competition.
Propósito
El propósito de este artículo es investigar el efecto de los determinantes del tipo impositivo efectivo (TIE) del impuesto de sociedades de las empresas que cotizan en la zona del euro.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Utilizando un panel de 2,870 compañías cotizadas en el período 2005–2016, los autores utilizan el Método de Momentos Generalizados (GMM) para estimar modelos globales para tres grupos de países y modelos específicos para los seis países seleccionados: Alemania, España, Francia, Italia, Bélgica y Grecia.
Resultados
Los resultados confirman que el TIE tiene diferentes determinantes en función de los países analizados. Entre antiguos y nuevos miembros se evidencia una relación significativamente positiva con el apalancamiento y negativa con el tamaño y la rentabilidad financiera. Sin embargo, la rentabilidad económica muestra una relación estadísticamente positiva en los nuevos, pero negativa en los antiguos. En el análisis individual, Alemania y España mantienen esta asociación negativa con el ROA, pero Bélgica y Grecia evidencian un efecto positivo. El efecto del ciclo económico sí resulta estadísticamente relevante, de forma negativa en Alemania, pero positiva en Bélgica y Grecia.
Originalidad/valor
Este artículo hace una novedosa contribución al debate actual sobre la necesidad de armonizar del impuesto de sociedades en la Unión Europea. Por primera vez, se considera el grupo de países cuya moneda común es el euro con gran nivel de detalle, así como el impacto de su ampliación y la comparativa individual entre sus principales países. Las autoridades europeas deberían tener en cuenta las específicas diferencias encontradas en los determinantes del ETR, tanto entre antiguos y nuevos miembros como por países, porque dificultan la adopción de medidas de armonización que limiten la competencia fiscal entre países comunes.