The impact of board gender diversity on ESG ranking and potential (Canadian mining firms)

Principal Investigator: Sana Mohsni, Finance
Project Title: Board Gender Diversity and ESG Performance and Disclosure: The Case of Canadian Mining Companies
Funder: Canadian Academic Accounting Association Grant

This research project focuses on the relationship between board gender diversity (BGD) and the ESG performance and disclosure practices of Canadian mining firms. The rationale for this industry focus is two-fold: first, the mining sector comprises a major part of the Canadian economy, with significant impacts on the environment and communities where it operates, making ESG issues among the major challenges the industry faces. Second, this industry, which has historically been dominated by males, has recently been pressured to open its boardrooms to women.

Ultimately, this research will clarify how BGD relates to ESG performance—both as measured holistically by ESG ratings and in relation to each discrete dimension, with a particular focus on the climate change factor within the environmental dimension. Its contribution to the growing body of literature in corporate governance that investigates the importance of BGD in ESG performance and reporting will be of interest to policymakers, ESG advisory and rating agencies, and sustainability boards (e.g., the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB) and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)) that support enhanced ESG disclosure requirements, ratings, and goals.