Rising concerns about climate change have led to investor interest in the carbon footprints and climate risk exposure of their portfolio firms. The rise of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing, one of the fastest-growing segments of the asset management industry, has also attracted attention from regulators, who have begun to consider structures for corporate reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, climate risk exposure, and other metrics for potential corporate impacts on, and sensitivity to, the global climate. Past experience with corporate disclosure regulations, including mandatory GHG disclosure rules that apply to some firms, suggests reporting requirements can have real consequences. These requirements can affect how firms structure their activities and influence investors’ portfolio choices.

To promote research on the measurement and reporting issues associated with GHG emissions and climate risk, the NBER will convene a virtual conference on Friday, November 12, 2021. The conference will be organized by NBER researchers Meredith Fowlie (University of California, Berkeley), Christian Leuz (University of Chicago), and Laura Starks (University of Texas, Austin).

Research on any issue pertaining to the accounting, economic, regulatory, and financial aspects of measuring and disclosing corporate GHG emissions, fossil fuel consumption, and exposure to prospective climate change are welcome. Particular topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Measurement of companies’ and portfolios’ GHG emissions and carbon footprints, recognizing the challenges of fragmented supply chains, international trade, indirect emissions, resource shuffling, and related attribution issues
• Estimation of firm and industry-level responses to GHG accounting rules, for example in the context of GHG pricing programs, voluntary disclosure requirements, and ESG reporting
• Evaluation of the impact of decarbonization initiatives, either through direct investments in carbon-reducing activities or through the purchase of emission offsets, for firms and portfolios
• Calculation of climate risk exposure of corporations, sovereign borrowers, and municipalities
• Assessment of whether climate risks are material and therefore require disclosure to investors and market regulators, even in the absence of climate-focused disclosure requirements

The NBER welcomes submissions of both empirical and theoretical research on all aspects of measurement, disclosure and regulation, including papers by scholars who are early in their careers, who are not NBER affiliates, and who are from groups that are under-represented in the accounting, finance, and economics professions. To be considered for inclusion on the program, papers must be uploaded by midnight (EDT) August 12, 2021 via the following link:

http://conference.nber.org/confsubmit/backend/cfp?id=CCFf21

Complete papers are preferred, but extended abstracts may also be submitted. Please do not submit papers that have been accepted for publication and that will be published by November, 2021. Authors chosen to present papers will be notified in early September, 2021.

Questions about this conference may be addressed to confer@nber.org.