The influence of board characteristics, ownership structure and public attention on climate change disclosure in banking sector companies

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of board characteristics, ownership structure, and public attention on the disclosure of information related to climate change in the banking industry. This study uses panel data from financial reports and corporate sustainability in the banking sector. The data is processed using the Eviews application, using a sample of 348 companies from 2018 to 2021. The results show that the presence of women on the board, foreign board members, foreign ownership, and public attention all have a positive and significant effect influence. In contrast, board size and institutional ownership have a negative influence on the disclosure of climate change information by banking companies in different countries. Statistical tests also show that although the level of climate change information disclosure by banking companies is relatively good, there is still room for improvement to be in line with evolving standards. The study also looks at public attention through media coverage, as measured through Google Trends, which has the potential to impact climate change information disclosure, especially in sectors that are sensitive to the issue. Furthermore, the study conducted additional tests by categorizing the sample based on companies located in countries with high and medium rankings in the climate change performance index, as well as grouping them by region (Asia, Americas, and Europe). This research has important practical and theoretical contributions, advancing the understanding of the application of legitimacy and stakeholder theories to climate change and the factors that influence climate change disclosure strategies.