Climate Change and Global Warming Disclosure Trends in Bangladesh: A Study on Cement and Pharmaceutical & Chemical Industry

Abstract

Purpose

The core objective of the study is to critically examine the trends of the climate change & global warming discourses and their dominant characteristics in developing country perspective like Bangladesh.

Design/Methodology

This paper extends the current literature by considering reporting practices of corporation in developing country perspective. Using a sample of 30 listed companies from two major emission intensive industries, we conducted a content analysis for a span of 5 years from 2015 to 2019. A data set consisting of 19 issues of climate change and global warming information was developed through literature review.

Findings

Although the study observes generally adapting increased disclosures over time, sample companies’ disclosures are lagging. This analysis provides the comprehension of below average climate change and global warming disclosure practices by the companies. Showed positive attitude to disclosing on climate change and global warming in terms of both number of issues disclosed and number of sample companies disclosed, only a few companies disclose rigorously in their annual reports. Compared to Bangladeshi companies, multinational companies are more inclined to comply environmental regulations and disclose more climate change and global warming issues. In particular, we improve the prior literature by focusing on voluntary climate change disclosures and by developing a content analysis to assess the extent of climate change disclosures by polluting industries in Bangladesh.