Corporate climate change disclosure and global economic perspectives: A bibliometric mapping

Corporate climate change disclosure has evolved from voluntary practices to mandatory regulatory requirements that significantly influence investment decisions, market valuations, and cost of capital in global financial markets. However, comprehensive bibliometric analysis mapping the intellectual structure and economic implications of this field remains limited. This study conducted systematic bibliometric analysis of 69 documents from Scopus database spanning 2008–2023. The analysis employed R Studio, VOSviewer, and Tableau to explore citation patterns, author collaborations, geographical distribution, and thematic structures. Results demonstrated significant publication growth with the United States contributing the most articles at 32 (46.38 %), followed by Australia with 12 articles (17.39 %) and Greece with 9 articles (13.04 %). Cluster analysis identified four main economic-oriented themes: environmental policies affecting market regulations, stakeholder influences on financial performance, sustainable development impacting long-term value creation, and corporate social responsibility driving competitive advantage. Legitimacy theory serves as the dominant theoretical foundation, explaining how climate disclosure reduces information asymmetry and influences cost of capital. The research reveals fundamental transformation of climate change disclosure from peripheral environmental issues to strategic business imperatives that materially affect financial markets and capital allocation decisions. This study contributes to global economic research by demonstrating convergence of legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory, and voluntary disclosure theory, indicating the need for integrated theoretical frameworks considering economic variables. This bibliometric mapping provides valuable insights for corporations, regulators, and investors in understanding climate disclosure's role in modern financial markets and investment decision-making.