Apples to apples: Accurately assessing corporate carbon performance

Despite a rapidly growing interest in corporate carbon performance (CCP), no consensus exists about how CCP should be defined and operationalized. Inconsistent interpretations have led to divergent research results and differing practical applications. Based on a systematic literature review, this study develops a definition of CCP incorporating three components: carbon usage (absolute emissions), carbon intensity (relative emissions), and carbon assessment metrics (across peer, past, and target benchmarks). Using panel data with 9403 firm-year observations from Standard & Poor's 1500 firms from 2011 to 2019, two fundamental issues for consistent CCP operationalization are examined. First, three benchmark types for carbon assessment are discussed. These are competitors, previous emissions, and global reduction targets. Recommendations for operationalizing them are developed. Second, the differences in data quality for verified, self-reported, and estimated data are quantified. This study concludes by discussing the differences between CCP metrics, including the unique information each metric conveys about a different aspect of CCP. This study provides a framework and clear methodological guidelines to improve the comparability and consistency of future CCP assessments by scholars and practitioners. • Classification of the different metrics of corporate carbon performance (CCP). • Derivation of a tripartite definition of CCP reflecting its multidimensionality. • Framework for CCP assessment based on carbon usage, intensity, and assessment. • Operationalization of target-related carbon assessment. • Quantification of differences in quality among greenhouse gas (GHG) data.