The impact of renewable energy performance on corporate financial performance

This study investigates the effect of renewable energy performance (REP) on corporate financial performance (CFP) taking into account renewable energy (RE) related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) factors. We conduct the study by using a data sample of 563 companies from 46 countries over the period of 2009-2018. We employ panel data analysis on firm-level and on the country of headquarters. We cover the 7th and 12th SDGs, and environmental ESG variables to assess the impact of REP on CFP. The results suggest that the effectiveness of REP could be measured by three phases: policies adopted, targets established, and actions implemented. The findings indicate that there is a negative impact of REP policies and targets on profitability in developed markets due to the massive costs incurred by the companies. However, the impact is positive and significant in developing countries, particularly in long-term financial performance since they are at the beginning of the implementation process. On firm-level, RE policies negatively affect both financial and non-financial companies, while RE actions have a positive and significant influence on non-financial companies rather than on financial ones. The results also reveal that the 7th SDG has a negative effect on the financial performance of companies on both country of headquarter-level and firm-level, while the 12th SDG has a positive and significant effect on both country of headquarter-level and firm-level financial performance. Finally, the environmental factors of ESG have a negative impact on the financial performance of companies on both country of headquarter-level and firm-level. Keywords: ESG, Financial Performance, Renewable Energy Performance, SDG