Auditors’ Carbon Risk Consideration under the EU Emission Trading System

Abstract

This paper addresses the effects of clients’ carbon risk on audit pricing. Using data from 438 EU companies for the period 2013–2019, we find a positive relationship between carbon risk (measured by the level of carbon emissions) and audit fees. Furthermore, we find that participation in the European Union’s Emission Trading System, a limited market and regulation scheme to mitigate special industries’ Greenhouse Gas emissions, strengthens the positive relationship between carbon risk and audit fees. Insights from additional tests indicate that auditors price carbon risk particularly for large clients that are under greater public scrutiny and that the increase in fees rather stems from a risk premium charged by the auditor than higher audit effort. With interest in climate change developing rapidly across society, practice and research combined with the increasing importance of reducing carbon risk, our findings are timely and should thus appeal to a wide variety of recipients.

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