The Role of Environmental Information Disclosure Systems and their Impact on Firm Performance

Abstract

In response to the call for more research on impactful green IS, this paper examines one country-level environmental information disclosure system (EIDs), the U.S. Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), as a strategic tool or infrastructure of green IS and empirically tests the impact of environmental performance on financial performance in the chemical industry using both real financial and forward-looking measures. In particular, the study explores EDIs-inspired environmental managerial efforts and their influence on firms' financial performance. The study's finding that firms with better environmental performance also show greater cost competitiveness challenges the view that environmental managerial activities constitute an additional burden irrespective of firms' business operations. Instead, it suggests, these can be innovative activities that improve a firm's production efficiency, material resource management, and financial performance and sustainability.