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Sprott researchers awarded SSHRC grants for new research to address environmental sustainability

Faculty members from Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business have been awarded the Insight Development Grants (IDG) from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in the February 2021 competition. All three projects focus on topics related to environmental sustainability and climate change.

SSHRC’s Insight Development Grant supports research in its early stages, enabling the development of new research questions as well as experimentation with new methods, approaches and ideas.

Funded Projects

Can Corporate Social Responsibility Performance-­based Incentives Contribute to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction?

Principle Investigator: Leanne Keddie, Assistant Professor, Sprott School of Business

Co-Investigator: Patrick Callery, Assistant Professor, Sprott School of Business

The climate crisis is one of the most critical emergencies of our time. It is estimated that just
100 corporations contribute 71% of all carbon emissions1. As such, it is important for corporations to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with earth’s carrying capacity. Doing this requires drastic changes in firm behaviour and a key driver of such behavioural change has traditionally been incentives. While typically thought of as financial in nature in a corporate setting, firms are increasingly integrating social and environmental targets into their executive bonus plans. The goal of this research is to determine whether or not the use of these Corporate Social Responsibility performance­-based incentives (CSRPBI) are effective in helping to reduce corporate GHGs.

1Griffin, P. (2017). Carbon Majors Report 2017. CDP Worldwide & Climate Accountability Institute.

Urban Flooding in Ottawa, Canada: Business­ as ­Usual or New Friction between Public and Private Stakeholders?

Principal Investigator: Ruth McKay, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business

This project seeks to increase the understanding of how private and public sector stakeholders negotiate policies, guidelines and regulations intended to improve the resilience of Ottawa neighborhoods. This research also represents a first attempt to study the local politics and stakeholder relationships of flood risk mitigation in a Canadian city. The researchers will go beyond official policy and marketing narratives to explore the complex dynamics of urban development amid escalating impacts associated with climate change. Given the immediate concerns about flooding, the lack of research in this area, and the potential sensitivity of the topic, the project will break new ground in the study of city­building and sustainability.

The Cost of Committing Environmental Sin

Principal InvestigatorIsaac Otchere, Professor, Sprott School of Business

In recent years, environmental concerns and social norms have influenced individual’s preferences for sustainable investing. Consequently, a growing number of institutional investors integrate sustainability considerations in their investment decisions. Over the last two decades, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund-­Global (NGPF-­G), the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund (SWF) with a special focus on environmental and ethical investing, has dropped many firms, including Canadian companies, from its investment portfolio over carbon emission concerns. Despite the increased number of firms that have been excluded by the NGPF­-G, the consequences of divestment on the affected firms and the effectiveness of the exclusion decision in changing the behaviour of these firms have not been systematically analyzed. This research will take up these issues by examining the performance of the excluded firms.

Additional information about these funded projects can be found through SSHRC website.