(Press-News.org) The natural environment across the globe is deteriorating, leading to crises like climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity. Companies and industries play a major role in this decline, and they are expected to take responsibility for their environmental impact. A recent study by Probal Dutta from the University of Vaasa, Finland, suggests that companies can meet these expectations by openly sharing reliable, credible information about their activities, environmental performance, and effects on nature.
Probal Dutta’s doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa examines the relationship between the environmental performance of companies and different types of disclosures about company activities having effects on the natural environment. For his dissertation, Probal Dutta conducted statistical analyses using data on Finnish companies.
– Finnish companies’ environmental performance is reflected in their disclosures relating to environmental issues, says Probal Dutta, who will be defending his dissertation on 8 November 2024.
How companies are addressing their environmental impact
The results of the doctoral study show that companies are discharging their responsibility and accountability by providing accurate, reliable, and credible information on their effects on the natural environment and their actions to protect it.
– Companies, irrespective of their performance in terms of their impact on the natural environment, are found to be disclosing environment-related information that is verified by independent verifiers, also known as external assurance providers, says Dutta.
However, companies that are relatively poor environmental performers are more inclined to seek independent verification of their information in order to gain public trust.
According to Dutta's dissertation, the verification of the environment-related information by external assurance providers increases the accuracy of disclosed information and makes it reliable and credible to stakeholders.
Furthermore, the results confirm that companies whose environment-related information verified by an external assurance provider tend to disclose a higher amount of information than those that do not implement independent verification. For instance, companies implementing carbon assurance tend to disseminate more climate change-related information.
Finally, the results provide evidence of an association between environmental performance of companies and their decision to disclose information on the impact of their activities on biodiversity, as well as actions taken to preserve it.
From policymakers to investors: how this research can help
Policy-makers, regulators, managers and eco-friendly investors can all benefit from the results of this doctoral study.
– For instance, policymakers can use the findings of the study to develop standards for disclosing information on companies’ effects on and actions against climate change. Eco-friendly investors can use the findings to support biodiversity by investing in environment-friendly. Regulators can act as watchdogs to ensure transparency in companies’ environmental disclosures. Finally, corporate managers can apply the findings to be attentive to improve the accuracy, dependability, and credibility of their ecological information, says Dutta.
The results of Probal Duttas doctoral dissertation are based on three published sub-studies that examined various types of associations among different aspects of environment-related disclosure of information by companies, environmental performance of companies and the implementation of external verification of environment-related information disclosed by companies in Finland.
Doctoral dissertation
Probal Dutta (2024) Essays on Corporate Environmental Performance and Reporting. Acta Wasaensia 541. Väitöskirja. Doctoral dissertation. Vaasan yliopisto. University of Vaasa.
Publication pdf
Public Defence
The public examination of MBA Probal Dutta’s doctoral dissertation “Essays on Corporate Environmental Performance and Reporting” will be held on Friday 8 November 2024 at noon at the University of Vaasa, auditorium Nissi.
The public defence can also be attended online: (Zoom, password: 058567)
Professor Kim Ittonen (Hanken) will act as the opponent and Professor Timo Rothovius (University of Vaasa) as the custos.
END
Natural environment is declining: are companies doing their part to save it?
External sustainablity assurance is positively associated with the level of corporate climate change disclosures
2024-11-06
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New study sheds light on the role of sound and music in gendered toy marketing
2024-11-06
A groundbreaking study from Queen Mary University of London reveals that the music and soundscapes used in toy commercials are reinforcing rigid gender norms, shaping the way children perceive masculinity and femininity. The research uncovers how gender stereotypes are not only conveyed through visuals and language but are also deeply embedded in the sound and music used in advertisements targeted at children.
For more than 40 years, research has shown how gender polarisation in children’s ...
Pathogens which cling to microplastics may survive wastewater treatment
2024-11-06
Wastewater treatment fails to kill several human pathogens when they hide out on microplastics in the water, reports a new study led by Ingun Lund Witsø of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, published November 6, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
Wastewater treatment plants are designed to remove contaminants from wastewater, but microplastics persist and can become colonized by a sticky microbial biofilm. Previous research has suggested that these microbial communities, called plastispheres, include potential pathogens, and thus might pose a risk to human health and the environment when treated wastewater and sludge are released.
In the new study, researchers ...
Effects of preterm birth extend into adulthood, study finds
2024-11-06
By analyzing all live births in Canada over a six-year period and following children for more than two decades, researchers found that preterm births and the related cognitive, development and physical health impacts of prematurity are associated with lower income, employment and university enrollment
Individuals born before 37 weeks of gestation, considered to be preterm infants, have, on average, lower employment income, university enrollment and educational attainment through age 28, according to ...
Salmon frequently mislabeled in Seattle grocery stores and sushi restaurants
2024-11-06
In a study of salmon samples from Seattle, Washington, grocery stores and sushi restaurants, DNA analysis revealed that 18 percent were mislabeled. Tracie Delgado and colleagues at Seattle Pacific University, WA, U.S., present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on November 6, 2024.
Washington State is one of the top suppliers of wild salmon eaten in the United States. The price of salmon depends on the species and whether it is farmed or wild caught. Prior studies have revealed frequent mislabeling of salmon in Washington markets and restaurants. In 2013, the state made it illegal to mislabel salmon, citing negative ...
15,800-year-old engraved plaquettes from modern-day Germany depict fishing techniques, including the use of nets, not previously known in the Upper Paleolithic
2024-11-06
15,800-year-old engraved plaquettes from modern-day Germany depict fishing techniques, including the use of nets, not previously known in the Upper Paleolithic
###
Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0311302
Article Title: Upper Palaeolithic fishing techniques: Insights from the engraved plaquettes of the Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, Germany
Author Countries: Germany, U.K.
Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (Germany) - AHRC (UK) Memorandum of Understanding Grant DFG-Projekt GZ: GA 683/13-1 (AOBJ: 647648); AHRC (UK) AH/V002899/1) Kunst und Haushalt im Paläolithikum: ...
How plants evolved multiple ways to override genetic instructions
2024-11-06
Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered the origin of a curious duplication that gives plants multiple ways to override instructions that are coded into their DNA. This research could help scientists exploit a plant’s existing systems to favor traits that make it more resilient to environmental changes, like heat or drought stress.
The study led by Xuehua Zhong, a professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, was published Nov. 6 in Science Advances.
Zhong’s new research focuses on DNA methylation, a normal biological process in living cells wherein small chemical groups called methyl ...
Nasal swab tests predict COVID-19 disease severity, Emory study finds
2024-11-06
A wide variety of COVID-19 symptoms exist, ranging from mild to severe, and while current strains of the virus generally cause milder symptoms, those with co-morbidities are still at an exponentially greater risk of severe disease. Now, new research from Emory University is providing a more precise prediction of COVID-19 severity that can be found by looking at autoantibodies in the nasal cavity, leading to more personalized treatment plans. For high-risk individuals, this could provide critical information to inform immediate treatment options, including ...
'Shallow' sports and 'deep' social hierarchies: Not all pecking orders are created equal
2024-11-06
University of Michigan researchers have added a new dimension to the mathematics used to predict the outcomes of all manner of competitions, including sports, games and social hierarchies in both humans and animals.
This dimension, which they call "depth of competition," can be integrated into a variety of important and lucrative fields. It could, for instance, help project winners of match-ups in sports, forecast consumer preferences, rank universities and evaluate hiring practices.
But it also ...
New PFAs testing method created at UMass Amherst
2024-11-06
AMHERST, Mass. — University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have discovered a new way to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. This marks an important step forward in creating testing devices that are simpler, more cost-effective, faster and generally more accessible than existing methods.
PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals, have been recognized as a concerning pollutant.
These chemicals persist in the environment because they resist breaking down and pose significant health threats. Exposure to these chemicals is linked to various cancers ...
Asteroid grains shed light on the outer solar system’s origins
2024-11-06
Tiny grains from a distant asteroid are revealing clues to the magnetic forces that shaped the far reaches of the solar system over 4.6 billion years ago.
Scientists at MIT and elsewhere have analyzed particles of the asteroid Ryugu, which were collected by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 mission and brought back to Earth in 2020. Scientists believe Ryugu formed on the outskirts of the early solar system before migrating in toward the asteroid belt, eventually settling into an orbit between Earth and Mars.
The team analyzed Ryugu’s particles for signs of any ancient magnetic field that might have been present ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Sleepiness during the day may be tied to pre-dementia syndrome
Research Spotlight: Higher brain care score found to improve brain health regardless of genetic risk
Variation in the measurement of sexual orientations is associated with sexual orientation-related mental health disparities
Study shows how high blood sugar increases risk of thrombosis
Cachexia decoded: Why diagnosis matters in cancer survival
Transportation institute awarded nearly $1 million in trucking education grants
Sewage surveillance proves powerful in combating antimicrobial resistance
Natural environment is declining: are companies doing their part to save it?
New study sheds light on the role of sound and music in gendered toy marketing
Pathogens which cling to microplastics may survive wastewater treatment
Effects of preterm birth extend into adulthood, study finds
Salmon frequently mislabeled in Seattle grocery stores and sushi restaurants
15,800-year-old engraved plaquettes from modern-day Germany depict fishing techniques, including the use of nets, not previously known in the Upper Paleolithic
How plants evolved multiple ways to override genetic instructions
Nasal swab tests predict COVID-19 disease severity, Emory study finds
'Shallow' sports and 'deep' social hierarchies: Not all pecking orders are created equal
New PFAs testing method created at UMass Amherst
Asteroid grains shed light on the outer solar system’s origins
Grant supports finding brain-inspired ways to develop low-energy computing
People engaging in self-harm find support on Reddit. But is that community helping them?
The egg or the chicken? An ancient unicellular says egg!
Coping and resilience aids parents of disabled children, study says
Lupus Research Alliance announces inaugural recipients of Translational Bridge Award
Brain stars hold our memories
Imaging nuclear shapes by smashing them to smithereens
AI-driven mobile robots team up to tackle chemical synthesis
New haptic patch transmits complexity of touch to the skin
Safety of simultaneous vs sequential mRNA COVID-19 and inactivated influenza vaccines
Long-term risk of autoimmune and autoinflammatory connective tissue disorders following COVID-19
Mount Sinai researchers have uncovered the mechanism in the brain that constantly refreshes memory
[Press-News.org] Natural environment is declining: are companies doing their part to save it?External sustainablity assurance is positively associated with the level of corporate climate change disclosures