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The impact of carbon risk on stock returns: evidence from the European electric utilities

Author

Listed:
  • Enrico Bernardini
  • Johnny Di Giampaolo
  • Ivan Faiella
  • Riccardo Poli

Abstract

The decarbonization process has made obsolete the traditional value-creation model of companies operating in the electricity sector, particularly affecting those with a greater share of fossil fuels in their energy mix that have been forced to write down their carbon-intensive activities with a negative impact on operating income, equity and leverage. Institutional investors have a significant exposure to equity and debt of European Electric Utilities: if the transition process towards a low-carbon system is faster than expected, the risk that these weaknesses may spread across the financial system shouldn’t be underestimated. Analyses based on risk-premium factor models show that there was a significant low-carbon premium during the years in which the decarbonization process accelerated; in the period considered, an investment strategy that focused more on low-carbon companies would have delivered higher returns without modifying the overall risk profile.

Suggested Citation

  • Enrico Bernardini & Johnny Di Giampaolo & Ivan Faiella & Riccardo Poli, 2021. "The impact of carbon risk on stock returns: evidence from the European electric utilities," Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 1-26, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jsustf:v:11:y:2021:i:1:p:1-26
    DOI: 10.1080/20430795.2019.1569445
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Reboredo, Juan C. & Ugolini, Andrea, 2022. "Climate transition risk, profitability and stock prices," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Emanuele Campiglio & Frederick van der Ploeg, 2022. "Macrofinancial Risks of the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 16(2), pages 173-195.
    3. Namasi G. Sankar & Suryadeepto Nag & Siddhartha P. Chakrabarty & Sankarshan Basu, 2024. "The Carbon Premium: Correlation or Causation? Evidence from S&P 500 Companies," Papers 2401.16455, arXiv.org.
    4. Siddhartha P. Chakrabarty & Suryadeepto Nag, 2023. "Risk measures and portfolio analysis in the paradigm of climate finance: a review," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1-22, March.
    5. Zanin, Luca, 2023. "A flexible estimation of sectoral portfolio exposure to climate transition risks in the European stock market," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    6. Olatunji Abdul Shobande & Joseph Onuche Enemona, 2021. "A Multivariate VAR Model for Evaluating Sustainable Finance and Natural Resource Curse in West Africa: Evidence from Nigeria and Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, March.
    7. Amedeo Argentiero & Giovanni Bonaccolto & Giulio Pedrini, 2024. "Green finance: Evidence from large portfolios and networks during financial crises and recessions," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 2474-2495, May.
    8. Yevheniia Antoniuk, 2023. "The effect of climate disclosure on stock market performance: Evidence from Norway," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 1008-1026, April.
    9. Dirk Broeders & Marleen de Jonge & David Rijsbergen, 2024. "The European Carbon Bond Premium," Working Papers 798, DNB.
    10. Thomas Cauthorn & Christian Klein & Leonard Remme & Bernhard Zwergel, 2023. "Portfolio benefits of taxonomy orientated and renewable European electric utilities," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(7), pages 558-571, December.
    11. Drudi, Francesco & Moench, Emanuel & Holthausen, Cornelia & Weber, Pierre-François & Ferrucci, Gianluigi & Setzer, Ralph & Adao, Bernardino & Dées, Stéphane & Alogoskoufis, Spyros & Téllez, Mar Delgad, 2021. "Climate change and monetary policy in the euro area," Occasional Paper Series 271, European Central Bank.
    12. Vlad-Cosmin Bulai & Alexandra Horobet & Oana Cristina Popovici & Lucian Belascu & Sofia Adriana Dumitrescu, 2021. "A VaR-Based Methodology for Assessing Carbon Price Risk across European Union Economic Sectors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-21, December.
    13. Pawel Witkowski & Adam Adamczyk & Slawomir Franek, 2021. "Does Carbon Risk Matter? Evidence of Carbon Premium in EU Energy-Intensive Companies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-18, March.
    14. Campiglio, Emanuele & van der Ploeg, Frederick, 2021. "Macro-Financial Transition Risks in the Fight Against Global Warming," RFF Working Paper Series 21-15, Resources for the Future.

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