The increase in world carbon emissions is always in line with national economic growth programs, which create negative environmental externalities. To understand the effectiveness of related factors in mitigating CO₂ emissions, this study investigates the intricate relationship among macro-pillars such as economic growth, foreign investment, trade and finance, energy, and renewable energy with CO₂ emissions of the high gross domestic product economies in East Asia Pacific, such as China, Japan, Korea, Australia and Indonesia (EAP-5). Through the application of the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), this research reveals the long-term equilibrium and short-term dynamics between CO₂ emissions and selected factors from 1991 to 2020. The long-term cointegration vector test results show that economic growth and foreign investment contribute to carbon reduction. Meanwhile, the short-term Granger causality test shows that economic growth has a two-way causality towards carbon emissions, while energy consumption and renewable energy consumption have a one-way causality towards carbon emissions. In contrast, the variables trade, foreign direct investment, and domestic credit to the private sector do not have two-way causality towards CO₂ emissions. The findings reveal that economic growth and foreign investment play significant roles in carbon reduction, which are observed in long-term causality relationships, while energy consumption and renewable energy are notable factors. Thus, the study offers implications for mitigating environmental concerns on national economic growth agendas by scrutinizing and examining the efficacy of related factors.

From the perspective of the corporate life cycle, this study investigates the transmission mechanism of ‘technological innovation-financing constraints-carbon emission reduction’ in energy companies using panel data and mediating models, focusing on listed energy companies from 2014 to 2020. It explores the stage characteristics of this mechanism during different life cycle phases and conducts heterogeneity tests across industries and regions. The results reveal that technological innovation positively influences carbon emission reduction in energy enterprises, demonstrating significant life cycle stage characteristics, specifically more pronounced in mature companies than in growing or declining companies. Financing constraints play a mediating role between technological innovation and carbon reduction, but this is only effective during the growth and maturity stages. Further research shows that the impact of technological innovation on carbon emission reduction and the mediating role of financing constraints exhibit heterogeneity across different stages of the life cycle, industries, and regions. The conclusions of this paper provide references for energy companies in planning rational emission reduction strategies and for government departments in policy-making.

The purpose of this study is to examine how financial slack and board gender diversity affect carbon emission disclosure and how that disclosure affects firm value in energy sector companies that are listed on the Indonesian stock exchange between 2017 and 2021. Annual reports and sustainability sources provide secondary data for this quantitative study. Purposive sampling was employed in this investigation, including nine companies and a five-year observation period. Thus, 45 samples altogether were employed in the present study. The partial least squares approach is the data analysis strategy used in this investigation. The study’s findings indicate that the Gender Diversity Board does not significantly affect carbon emission disclosure and significantly influences firm value. Financial slack significantly affects carbon emission disclosure but does not directly affect firm value. Financial slack and board gender diversity through carbon emission disclosure have no significant effect on firm value.