The study finds that firm membership in flagship indices and TCFD endorsement are strong predictors of a wider Disclosure-Performance Gap.
problem The Aggregate Confusion hypothesis and the measurement of greenwashing in environmental disclosures.
method The study uses a Disclosure-Performance Gap (DPG) model to measure the divergence between voluntary environmental disclosures and realised emissions performance for 200 large European firms. The model selection process involved multiple stages and robust standard errors.
result Firm membership in flagship indices and TCFD endorsement are strong predictors of a wider gap, while renewable energy use and environmental capital expenditure significantly narrow the gap.