Deterrents for corporate carbon disclosures: a study on Indian corporations using Grey-DEMATEL approach

Purpose - Globally, the landscape of corporate carbon disclosures (CCD) is continually evolving as societal, environmental and regulatory expectations change over time. The goal of this study is to examine the challenges faced by Indian firms’ corporate carbon reporting (CCR). The literature recognized the hurdles to reaching net zero emissions and decarbonization, which are equally applicable to carbon disclosure (CD). Design/methodology/approach - The scope 3 emission disclosure barriers (S3EDBs) identified from the literature were ranked, and their relationships were discovered using the “Grey-based decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory” (Grey- DEMATEL) technique. Findings - The key findings are the S3EDBs, the most prominent barriers, their interrelationships and important insights for managers of organizations in prioritizing the action area for scope 3 CD. Eight S3EDBs were categorized in terms of cause and effect, threshold value is calculated as 0.78. “Quality, and reliability of data,” “Government policies and statutory requirement on emission disclosure” and “Traceability and managing supply chain partners” are the most prominent S3EDBs. Practical implications - The results will help industry people in countries with emerging economies that have significant scope 3 carbon footprints. The managers can plan to deal with top S3EDBs as a step towards decarbonization and ultimately fighting climate change (CC). Originality/value - This study is one of the first to rank these barriers to CD so that industry practitioners can prioritize their actions. The core contribution of this research is to detect the most significant S3EDBs and their interdependencies.