Pelin Sekerler Richiardi

This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between trade, labour and environmental sustainability by providing empirical evidence at the firm level. For this purpose, it first explores whether exporting firms are more likely than non-exporting firms to adopt green measures. Second, it assesses how labour market outcomes such as productivity, wages, education level of workers, and training provided by firms may vary between green exporters and firms that do not engage in trade or undertake green measures. The study finds that exporting firms have a significantly higher probability of adopting green measures than do non-exporting firms. In addition, on average, among exporting firms, those that implement green measures tend to have higher levels of productivity, pay higher wages, offer more training and have a similar share of workers with a university degree in comparison with exporters that do not implement green measures. However, the gain in labour productivity associated with exporting and the adoption of green measures does not seem to translate into higher wages in lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income countries; it only does so in high-income countries.

Explores first how CSR initiatives can support the objective of extending social protection. Then, on the basis of privately held data provided by L’Oréal, it analyses whether the implementation of the program has led to any changes in the benefits provided by L’Oréal firms in different countries. Finally, it explores the links between two indicators related to firm performance (turnover and absenteeism) and the different elements of the program based on quantitative methodologies. The analysis is limited based on data availability; thus, the paper makes some suggestions about how the effects of the program could be better evaluated with access to more specific indicators.