Join us for an ERIM research seminar.
With Nilanjana Dutt and Yifan Tian.
Abstract
Which firms lobby more – those at the technological frontier or less innovative peers? We examine how publicly listed European firms (2015–2023) adjust corporate lobbying after the late-2019 announcement of the European Green Deal. Merging data on firm-initiated meetings with EU commissioners and staff from the EU Transparency Register with Orbis financials, Trucost carbon intensity, and (green) patent data, we identify which firms hold “green” meetings. After 2019, green lobbying rose sharply, led by firms with larger patent portfolios and a higher share of green patents. Among these, the most carbon-intensive firms are the most active; non-green patenting shows no comparable effect. The pattern supports an informational-lobbying mechanism: frontier innovators with greater regulatory exposure use meetings to reduce uncertainty and align investments with evolving rules. Our study links innovation and non-market strategy, showing when market and non-market actions complement each other under regulatory change.
