Does ESG reputational risk affect the efficiency and speed of adjustment of corporate investment?

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reputational risk and investment efficiency. We provide evidence that ESG reputational risk relates to higher corporate suboptimal investment (underinvestment) and a lower speed of adjustment back to the optimal investment level. Our findings hold for parametric and nonparametric estimations of underinvestment and are robust to several techniques that address endogeneity and self-selection. Overall, our study highlights the important role of ESG reputational risk in determining corporate investment efficiency.