Corporate biodiversity information disclosure in focus: The triad of institutional pressures, ecosystem service and green supply chain management in China's corporate landscape

Abstract

The ongoing reduction in biodiversity poses a risk to ecosystem stability and indicates an overall breach of the planet's limits. Every business organization relies, either directly or indirectly, on the extent of biodiversity; however, research is insufficient regarding the factors and mechanisms that determine why and how companies effectively disclose biodiversity information, especially within the context of China. Therefore, to address this research gap, this study takes a sample of 493 Chinese firms and employs structural equation modeling to conduct empirical analysis. The empirical results indicate that the three types of institutional pressure (coercive pressure, normative pressure, and mimetic pressure) all promote corporates in disclosing biodiversity information. In addition, coercive pressure, normative pressure, and mimetic pressure are all capable of promoting corporate ecosystem service management and green supply chain management, and both corporate ecosystem service management and green supply chain management facilitate the disclosure of biodiversity information by corporates. Furthermore, the mediating roles of both corporate ecosystem service management and green supply chain management have been validated, and the difference in the mediating effects of these two variables has not reached a significant level. This study not only contributes to the academic discourse on corporate biodiversity information disclosure but also provides practical insights for stakeholders committed to promoting sustainable business practices and sustainable development, as well as offering a reference for policy optimization and formulation.