From choking to breathing: CEO’s early-life air pollution exposure and green innovation

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether and how chief executive officers’ (CEOs) early-life air pollution exposure shapes corporate green innovation (GI), with board independence and state political orientation as moderating factors. Design/methodology/approach Using panel data of S&P 500 firms spanning 2010–2022, this study applies the Heckman two-stage regression model. CEO succession events were identified to explore how newly appointed CEOs drive changes in corporate GI strategies. Data on CEOs’ childhood hometowns were collected from multiple public sources and rigorously validated. Findings The analysis demonstrates that CEOs’ early-life exposure to higher levels of air pollution significantly increases their engagement in corporate GI. This effect is further amplified by stronger board independence and by headquarters’ location in democratic-leaning (“blue”) states. Originality/value This study integrates feeling-as-information and upper-echelon theories to explain how CEOs’ early-life exposure to air pollution influences their strategic decision-making and fosters corporate GI grounded in pro-environmental values. It further extends prior research by uncovering long-term and micro-level mechanisms beyond the traditional focus on episodic and traumatic life events such as famine or natural disasters.