Higher Education governance and accountability towards nature positive disclosure (NPD)

This research study explores the extent to which UK higher education institutions (HEIs)
voluntarily make nature positive activities disclosures and examines whether governing board
mechanisms and vice-chancellor characteristics and tenure, assurance and environmental
award received by HEI have influence such voluntary nature positive activities disclosure.
Using a sample of 130 UK HEIs over a 4-year period (i.e. 520 university-year observations),
we find the level of nature positive activities disclosures among UK HEIs is very low and vary
between the HEIs, which is consistent with earlier studies on the general voluntary disclosure
practices among HEIs. We also find that governing board mechanisms, assurance and
environmental ward received by HEI have a significant impact on nature positive activities
disclosure. Specially we find a positive and significant influence between HEI governing board
effectiveness (frequency of board meeting and number of executive meeting), assurance
(assurance and audited by big 4) and environmental award received by HEI, and nature positive
activities disclosure. In contrast, we find governing board structure (governing board size and
no of female members in board), vice-chancellor characteristics and tenure (vice-chancellor
gender, number of years’ work as vice chancellor and vice chancellor remuneration based on
sustainability performance) have no association with nature positive activities disclosure. Our
findings offer important implications for regulators, policymakers and funding councils.