Gender diversity impact on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Greenhouse Gas emissions in the UK

Abstract

Th is study provides further evidence on the relationship between the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee and corporate environmental performance in the United Kingdom. For the purpose of exploring corporate environmental performance, the study uses Greenhouse Gas (GHG) scopes of emissions as the proxies. In the UK, listed companies report their GHG emissions under the three main emissions categories (i.e., Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3) as developed by GHG protocol standards. Using Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions, the study proposes a negative relationship between the CSR committee and Scope 1 emissions, whereas, a positive link is proposed between CSR committee and Scope 2 emissions. The findings in this study support the hypotheses that scope 1 emission and CSR committees are negatively associated while a positive relationship was found between Scope 2 and CSR committee. Also, this research reveals the signifi cant roles played by the presence of an environmental team and female gender diversity in moderating the CSR committee and GHG emissions relationship. Though, the CSR committee was found to have a positive effect on reducing GHG emissions, the presence of the environmental team had a much significant influence on reducing corporate GHG emissions. The findings are relevant for decision making and corporate governance measures to reduce corporate GHG emissions.