Crisis and environmental governance decisions amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from European countries

Autor: Iyad H.M. Ismail, Saleh F.A. Khatib, Alhamzah F. Abbas, Mohd Noor Azli Ali Khan, Hamid Ghazi H Sulimany, Ayman Hassan Bazhair
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Heliyon, Vol 10, Iss 4, Pp e25673- (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2405-8440
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25673
Popis: This study investigates the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on environmental governance decisions within publicly listed European companies. It utilizes a comprehensive analysis of publicly available data regarding these firms and check the environmental governance practices during the pandemic, informed by risk society theory which describes modern societies marked by ongoing risks and uncertainties primarily stemming from technological and scientific advancements. The regression and robustness analysis has been performed on how companies have responded to the crisis, specifically in terms of their approaches to environmental sustainability and governance. Covid-19 has a significantly positive impact on environmental governance (EG), with a coefficient of 18.73 and a p-value of .000. Other variables like human development (HD), size, and free cash flow (FCF) positively affect EG, while corruption (Corrupt) and leverage (Lev) have a negative influence. Robust analysis confirms the negative impact of Covid-19 on EG, with a coefficient of 18.46 and a p-value below .01, consistent across different subsamples. However, it also underscores the challenges companies have encountered in upholding their sustainability efforts amid the crisis. In sum, this research offers valuable insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected environmental governance decisions, with potential implications for policymakers, regulators, and business leaders striving to advance sustainability in the post-pandemic landscape.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals