CSR Activity in Response to the Paris Agreement Exit

In 2017, United States President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. Although there were concerns that the exit would impede the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the environmental performance of U.S. firms in carbon-intensive sectors improved after the announcement at a significantly higher pace than firms in other sectors. Moreover, our findings are concentrated among firms exposed to higher public attention. One implication is that firms under greater public scrutiny used the U.S.’s departure from the agreement as an opportunity to credibly signal their commitment to combating global climate change