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Do Investors Care about Carbon Risk?

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Paper Summary

Paperzilla title
Carbon Footprint = Higher Stock Returns? Investors Pricing in Climate Risk!

This paper finds that stocks of companies with higher total carbon emissions, and increases in emissions, earn higher returns. This suggests that investors are already pricing in carbon emission risk and demanding compensation for their exposure to it. Interestingly, emission intensity has no significant impact on returns, despite its common use as a screening indicator by institutional investors.

Explain Like I'm Five

Scientists found that companies making more air pollution often give investors more money. This is like getting a reward for taking a bigger risk.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified

Identified Limitations

Limited Data Coverage
The reliance solely on reported or estimated emissions data without considering alternative or updated data sources.
Sample Selection Bias
The sample of companies used in the study may not be fully representative of the entire universe of listed companies.
Omitted Variable Bias
Potential confounding factors, such as regulatory changes, technological advancements, or investor sentiment shifts, may influence the relationship between carbon emissions and stock returns.
Measurement Error
The use of carbon intensity as a measure of emissions, which is used in the study, may not fully reflect a company's true carbon risk.

Rating Explanation

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between carbon emissions and stock returns. The methodology is sound, with a cross-sectional analysis controlling for multiple factors. The findings offer valuable insights into the growing field of climate change and finance. While some limitations exist, such as data constraints and potential omitted variables, the overall research is strong and contributes significantly to the literature.

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Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Social Sciences
Subfield: Finance

File Information

Original Title: Do Investors Care about Carbon Risk?
Uploaded: July 14, 2025 at 05:18 PM
Privacy: Public