The Importance of Environmental Contingencies: A Research Study in Brazilian Companies

Abstract

The enterprises face new challenges in respect to the standards compliance in ethical, labor and environmental. In order to have a reputation in the social and environmental aspect, it is essential convey transparency and reliability in the actions. Thus, the enterprises shall provide the information required by law, but which are not restricted to what deter- mines the standard; additional information can be disclosed aiming transparency of accounting norms. In this way, this paper aims to identify the financial significance of the passive contingencies value and environmental provisions emphasized in 295 enterprises that negotiate their shares in the Stock Exchange and Mercantile & Futures Exchange (BM&FBovespa SA) and which are considered potential pollutant in according to the Brazilian legislation which provides about the Environment National Policy. To identify how the contingent liabilities represent financially for thecompanies investigated was calculated factor of significance from the division between environmental contingencies and provisions to net income. About the impact that contingencies would cause if they all have their probability of occurrence as probable and were to be accrued, it is observed that 25% of companies have their profits reduced by more than half and would get even losses. Moreover, about half of the companies has a significance of up to 7% compared to net income, inferring that the relevance of passive environmental contingencies for most companies is low related to the net profit of the same.