The influence of corporate social responsibility on air pollution: Analysis of environmental regulation and eco-innovation effects

Air pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems affecting the general population's health and wellbeing. This article analyses the role companies and public-sector institutions play in reducing air pollution. Corporations are motivated by a social commitment and the need to improve their productive processes, while public bodies endeavour to reduce air pollution to improve citizens' quality of life. This paper drills down into the impact of eco-innovation as a mechanism for companies to achieve this dual aim. We look at a set of 31 countries between 2006 and 2013 using fixed-effects Ordinary Least Squares panel data methodology. The results corroborate the positive influence of corporate social responsibility on reducing air pollution. Furthermore, this influence is reinforced when environmental regulation is developed. Finally, we observe that eco-innovations have a mediating effect on the relationship between sustainable firms and air pollution.