Studying Global Environmental Policy Variations and Multinational Corporations

Global campaigns on environmental sustainability (ES) have pushed countries, especially developed countries such as members of the G7 and the European Union, to adopt policies that help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and promote the use of clean energy.

However, according to Telfer professor TieMei Li, despite decades of an escalating environmental sustainability (ES) crisis that calls for globally coordinated efforts, empirical studies are lacking on how sustainability policy variations across countries affect environmental performance.

What is this research project about?

Li has received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grant for a project title titled “Environmental Sustainability Policy Divergence, Environmental Disclosure, and Environmental Performance: International Evidence”.

Li believes that the effect of ES policy divergence on overall global environmental performance and corporations’ behaviour must be understood. Moreover, with globalization, multinational corporations (MNCs) become key players in the global economy. It’s therefore important and timely to understand their role in terms of ES.

Research benefits

The research will include three projects that will help governments and regulatory bodies understand this issue. The research projects will study the role of MNCs and transparency in environmental disclosures. Government, policymakers, regulators and international organizations will benefit when designing or modifying ES rules.