Impact of Environmental Disclosure on Performance of Cement and Brewery Companies in Nigeria

Abstract

This research empirically assessed the impact of environmental disclosure on performance of listed cement and breweries companies in Nigeria. The population of the study consists of nine cement andbreweries companies listed on the Nigerian stock exchange. Three listed cement and four breweries companies were selected as a sample for this study. Secondary data were used and were collected from annual reports of selected companies for the period of five years from 2011 – 2015. Ordinary Least Square regression technique was employed to analyze the data. Content analysis was used for measuring quantitative environmental disclosure and unweigted approach was used to rank environmental disclosure indices for measuring qualitative voluntary environmental disclosure. Return on Asset (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), and Earning per Share (EPS) were used as proxies for measuring performance. The empirical result indicates that environmental disclosure quantitative (EDQN) has a positive insignificant on ROA and EPS at 0.707 and 0.616 respectively, it has negative insignificant impact on ROE at 0.756. On the other hand, environmental disclosure qualitative (EDQL) has positive significant impact on ROAat0.025 also with EPS at 0.00, it however has positive insignificant impact on ROA at 0.660. and is statistically significant, also negative impact on ROE and EPS and is insignificant. . The control variable firm size (FRMS) has positive significant impact on EPS at 0.009.  The study recommends that cement tand breweries companies should practice how to disclose more environmental information. Government should also come up with clearly define policy on environmental disclosure issues and should ensure its full implementation.

Keywords: Environmental disclosure, firm performance, mandatory disclosure, voluntary disclosure.