Can Corporate Governance and Sustainability Policies Drive CSR Performance? An Empirical Study

This study investigates how board and audit committee characteristics, alongside sustainable policies, influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance (Total ESG Score). We also evaluate their individual effects on environmental, social, and governance ratings. Our research focuses on non-financial firms in India's Nifty 500 index. We employ panel data analysis, utilising information sourced from annual reports and Bloomberg. The research outcomes state that, CSR performance is positively impacted by board size as well as the implementation of social and environmental policies. Larger and more independent audit committees, on the contrary, appear to have a negative impact on CSR outcomes. Surprisingly, CSR success did not significantly correlate with either gender's diversity or independence of the board.