Episode 049: Giri Kanagaretnam

Do the beliefs of people who live near a company’s head office affect the company’s actions on climate change?

In this episode of Podcast or Perish, I talk with Prof. Giri Kanagaretnam, Ron Binns Chair in Financial Reporting, Banking, and Governance at the Schulich School of Business, York University. We explore his work on whether local beliefs about climate change are related to corporate tax behavior, specifically when firms take advantage of green tax incentives. Giri’s data says that firms in counties with strong climate-change norms tend to have lower effective tax rates. Giri says this means that social beliefs—not just financial incentives—shape corporate action. I take some convincing.

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Full transcript, photos, and related resources:

https://www.podcastorperish.ca/episodes/episode-049-giri-kanagaretnam

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Podcast or Perish is about academic research and why it matters. Hosted by Prof. Cameron Graham.