Do Certifications Promote Sustainable Consumption? Evidence from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly Initiative
Prof. JEE-EUN SHIN
Assistant Professor of Accounting, Rotman School of Management
University of Toronto
Date: 4 Feb 2026 (Wednesday)
Time: 10:00-11:30
Venue: E22-G015
Host: Prof. Rubin HAO, Assistant Professor in Accounting
Abstract
This study examines how sustainability information accreditations impact retail sales in online marketplaces. We use the introduction of the Climate Pledge Friendly badge for beauty products sold on Amazon that qualify for sustainability criteria verified by an accredited third-party organization. Our difference-in-differences estimates suggest that accredited products resulted in a sales increase which is more pronounced for smaller businesses. In additional analyses, we examine how the sales impact associated with the introduction of the Climate Pledge Friendly badge interacts with the existing online information environment. Textual analyses of existing reviews suggest that the accreditation provided new sustainability information not already contained in online reviews which mostly revolved around quality-related product characteristics. Cross-sectional results show that the sales effect is more pronounced for products with higher product quality reflected in existing ratings, suggesting that the new sustainability information complements, rather than substitutes, for quality-related information. Finally, we show evidence that is suggestive of a salience mechanism by which the accreditation impacted consumers’ purchasing behavior. Overall, our findings contribute to the growing literature on information provision for consumer decision-making by examining the role of sustainability information accreditations as important information intermediaries.
Speaker
Jee-Eun Shin is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the design of management control systems to maximize organizational objectives by effectively taking into account incentives from various stakeholders including shareholders, managers, employees, and regulatory bodies. For her research, she actively engages in dialogues with practitioners for collaboration on projects that can bridge the gap between academic research and developments in the industry. Her recent work especially focuses on sustainability-related management practices. Jee-Eun’s work has been published in leading journals such as Contemporary Accounting Research, Management Science, Journal of Accounting and Economics, and Journal of Accounting Research. Her research has been recognized with Outstanding Paper awards from the American Accounting Association. She is also the recipient of the Best Early Career Researcher in Management Accounting Award.
All are welcome!
