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Energy companies are facing increasing pressure from institutional and industry stakeholders to prioritize their responsibility to the environment and society, including providing accurate, reliable, and comprehensive reports on their sustainability practices. Three metrics were developed in this study: the average sustainability reporting score and two sustainability performance reporting indices based on two different performance measurement methodologies. These were designed to assess the effect of mandatory non-financial disclosure on sustainability reporting and the level of transparency and engagement of energy companies. The study also examined the relationship between the level of sustainability reporting and sustainability performance in the period of 2016–2019 by correlating these metrics. The analysis sheds light on the effectiveness of non-financial disclosure regulations in promoting sustainability practices in the energy industry. The results revealed no difference in metric scores prior to, or even following, the adoption of Directive 2014/95/EU. Energy companies performed better in terms of sustainability when more indicators were reported. Their primary focus was on the economic aspect of sustainability, particularly corruption. They gave less importance to the environmental aspect, mainly reporting on emissions. The social aspect received the least attention, although indicators for employee education and training were mentioned most frequently. The analysis showed that the metrics are statistically significantly correlated and complement each other, highlighting the need to consider a variety of metrics when assessing sustainability performance in the energy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of climate policy uncertainty (CPU) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 1007 listed firms over 2003–2021. As the urgency to combat climate change and implement effective policies may create uncertainty, it focuses on the Unites States, a significant emitter with a complex policy landscape. Using the two‐step system generalized method of moments estimation, the analysis reveals a negative CPU–CO2 emissions relationship, indicating that increased CPU incentivizes firms to adopt sustainable practices, leading to emissions reductions. Capital expenditures have similar effects on emissions, accompanied by increased corporate sustainability engagement. However, no significant relationship is found between research and development (R&D) expenditure and CO2 emissions, nor does CPU significantly moderate the R&D–CO2 emissions nexus. Firms with substantial fixed assets exhibit higher CO2 emissions, while heavy emitters demonstrate limited CPU responsiveness. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers encouraging corporate participation in emissions reduction efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the impact of early stage and established entrepreneurs on industrial energy consumption across European countries for the period 2001–2017. It proposes that industrial energy consumption is a complex multifaceted result of value-added activities conducted by different types of entrepreneurs and the quality of macroeconomic and entrepreneurial framework conditions, which support or hinder entrepreneurial activity and consequently energy use. After selecting the most appropriate model using a panel Bayesian averaging model approach, a fixed effects panel regression analysis was conducted to investigate more deeply the impact of different types of entrepreneurs on industrial energy consumption. The results show that early stage and established entrepreneurs exhibit different behavioral patterns with respect to energy use. The former follows, although statistically insignificantly, a U-shaped energy use curve. By contrast, the latter follows statistically significantly an inverted U-shaped curve. Additionally, the results confirm the important role of the governments and other policy authorities in creating favorable framework conditions, which can support the changes in behavioral energy practices and the development of new or established businesses aiming for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]