Does stakeholder and media attention influence climate change disclosure? Evidence from mining industry

Abstract

Purpose This research explores the influence of stakeholders and public attention through the media on disclosures related to climate change in the industry most sensitive to climate change, namely the mining industry. Design/methodology/approach This study employs panel data obtained from the financial and sustainability reports of 142 mining companies over the period 2017–2021. The analysis was conducted using the STATA software. Findings The findings of this study indicate that government ownership, creditor power and public attention through the internet had a significant positive impact on climate change disclosures among mining companies in the ASEAN region. In contrast, institutional ownership exhibited a negative effect on these disclosures. These results suggest that companies’ disclosures are primarily driven by external pressures from government authorities, creditors and heightened public scrutiny via online media platforms. Furthermore, the statistical analysis indicates that the overall level of climate change disclosure by mining companies in the ASEAN region remains relatively low. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this research. This research manually inputted data from sustainability reports and annual reports, so there were companies whose reports could not be found, and there were language barriers in several countries. Practical implications The implications of this research investigated climate change disclosure by companies considered sensitive to climate change, namely companies in the mining industry. This research suggests that company managers disclose climate change. It happens because the government, as the guarantor of the sustainability and welfare of the community, has encouraged disclosures responsible for climate change. Originality/value This study investigates the role of public attention, as measured by Google Trends, in influencing climate change disclosures within industrial sectors that are particularly sensitive to climate change.