Published Online:July 2026
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Corporate Governance
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJCG040726
DOI:10.71329/IUPJCG/2026.25.3.65-77
Author Name:Leo Themjung Makan, Pallavi Pandey, Nandita Bhattacharjee and Akshita Nawani
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Management
Download Format:PDF
Pages:65-77
The study investigates the influence of corporate governance characteristics— specifically independent directors, female directors, CEO duality, and sustainability committees—on carbon emissions in firms, with a focus on contributing to UN SDG 13: climate action. Panel regression analysis was applied to secondary data from 312 firm-year observations. The data covers 39 companies over 8 years, examining the relationship between governance factors and carbon emissions. The results indicate that a higher proportion of independent directors is negatively associated with carbon emissions, suggesting that independent boards may support sustainability efforts. However, female directors, CEO duality, and sustainability committees do not show significant associations with carbon emissions. The study highlights the importance of independent directors in reducing carbon emissions, implying that increasing their presence on boards may help firms enhance their sustainability practices. The study contributes to the literature on corporate governance and sustainability by providing empirical evidence on how board composition affects environmental performance, particularly carbon emissions.
Firms are increasingly under pressure to reduce their carbon footprints in the light of concerns of climate change. Corporate governance structures may notably influence how firms manage their environmental issues.