Definition of variables
| Variables | Definition | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Dependent and independent variables | ||
| CE_disclosure | The extent of CE-related disclosure on the municipal website | The total number of words used by the municipality to disclose/promote CE-related information on its website, coded using the grid (see Appendix 2). CE_disclosure is measured by groups of 100 words (the value 1 for CE_disclosure means 100 words) |
| Education | The CE-related education level of the municipal council | The total CE-related level of education of the municipal council, representing the sum of individual levels of each municipal councilor, taking the value 3 if a councilor has a degree in environmental or sustainability areas, 1 for a degree in natural sciences or management, 0 otherwise |
| Experience | The CE-related experience level of the municipal council | The CE-related experience level of the municipal council is the sum of individual levels. The individual level of a municipal councilor was coded 31 if the councilor’s main experience was related to environmental or sustainability areas, 1 for natural sciences or management, 0 otherwise |
| Sector membership | The total public/private memberships of municipal councilors | A dummy variable coded 1 if the CE-related experience level of the council is higher than or equal to the median level of the sample (3), 0 otherwise. The sum of individual sector memberships of municipal councilors was used to compute the dummy variable. The individual sector membership is coded 1 if the councilor works in the public sector, 0 otherwise |
| Control variables | ||
| Language | The language of disclosure | A dummy variable coded 1 if the disclosed information was in English and 0 otherwise (French disclosure) |
| Diversity | The gender diversity of the municipal council | The percentage of women on the municipal council |
| Council size | The size of the municipal council | The number of municipal councilors |
| Size of municipality | The population of the municipality | The municipality’s population as listed in the 2021 Census |
| Total_Revenue | The municipality’s total revenue | The municipality’s total revenue (in $ million) |
| Variables | Definition | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| CE_disclosure | The extent of CE-related disclosure on the municipal website | The total number of words used by the municipality to disclose/promote CE-related information on its website, coded using the grid (see |
| Education | The CE-related education level of the municipal council | The total CE-related level of education of the municipal council, representing the sum of individual levels of each municipal councilor, taking the value 3 if a councilor has a degree in environmental or sustainability areas, 1 for a degree in natural sciences or management, 0 otherwise |
| Experience | The CE-related experience level of the municipal council | The CE-related experience level of the municipal council is the sum of individual levels. The individual level of a municipal councilor was coded 31 if the councilor’s main experience was related to environmental or sustainability areas, 1 for natural sciences or management, 0 otherwise |
| Sector membership | The total public/private memberships of municipal councilors | A dummy variable coded 1 if the CE-related experience level of the council is higher than or equal to the median level of the sample (3), 0 otherwise. The sum of individual sector memberships of municipal councilors was used to compute the dummy variable. The individual sector membership is coded 1 if the councilor works in the public sector, 0 otherwise |
| Language | The language of disclosure | A dummy variable coded 1 if the disclosed information was in English and 0 otherwise (French disclosure) |
| Diversity | The gender diversity of the municipal council | The percentage of women on the municipal council |
| Council size | The size of the municipal council | The number of municipal councilors |
| Size of municipality | The population of the municipality | The municipality’s population as listed in the 2021 Census |
| Total_Revenue | The municipality’s total revenue | The municipality’s total revenue (in $ million) |
Notes:
We had initially planned to grant two points to councillors with a degree or experience in the environmental field and three points for sustainable development. As it was very difficult to distinguish between these two categories, we awarded three points to each councillor who had a degree or experience in either field.
Statistics Canada, Census of Population, available at www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/index-eng.cfm
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