近年來，永續發展概念在企業經營中的重要性迅速提升，公司能否實踐企業社會責任，以符合平衡環境、社會及公司治理發展之國際趨勢，成為創造公司價值的關鍵元素。本研究探討公司永續治理機制-永續長與環境委員會，是否會影響公司之企業社會責任表現。企業社會責任表現之衡量方式有二，第一種乃使用KLD資料庫的分數作為公司的企業社會責任績效，第二種為使用新式重大性判斷方法，以產業別為分類準繩，將眾多永續議題依該準繩分類，再與KLD評分項目相配對，計算出各公司之重大永續分數與非重大永續分數。

實證結果發現永續長之存在與企業社會責任績效呈現顯著正相關，代表永續長確實能透過對於永續政策之制定與執行，帶領公司在企業社會責任績效方面有更好之表現。而進一步地將企業社會責任績效區分為重大永續分數與非重大永續分數，結果顯示永續長之存在與重大永續分數、非重大永續分數也皆呈現顯著正相關，表示聘僱永續長確實能幫助公司在各個永續議題的處理上交出更漂亮的成績單。另外，實證結果亦發現，環境委員會之存在雖與公司的企業社會責任績效、非重大永續分數並無顯著之關聯，但與重大永續分數呈現顯著正相關，表示環境委員會之設立確實能提升公司在與重大永續議題相關之永續表現。而若一公司同時聘僱永續長及設立環境委員會，對企業社會責任績效、重大與非重大永續分數均無顯著影響。

本研究應用新式重大性判斷方法，結合新興公司永續治理機制，盼能提供一些證據予公司及投資大眾，使公司面對永續浪潮時，能在管理面及治理面有新的思維；使投資大眾衡量公司價值時，能在現有的財務及非財務報告書之外有新的依據。

I examine the relationship between sustainability-oriented governance mechanisms and corporation social responsibility (CSR) of U.S. companies. Specifically, I consider the presence of a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) among the management team and an environmental committee on the board of directors. When measuring firm’s CSR performance, I first use the firm-level CSR ratings of Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini (KLD), then I adopt a new method to calculate firms’ materiality score and immateriality score by classifying each KLD data item to material or immaterial in accordance with industries.

I find that the presence of a CSO is positively associated with KLD scores. The presence of a CSO is positively associated with materiality score and immateriality score as well. Further, although the presence of an environmental committee shows no associated with KLD scores and immateriality score, I find that environmental committees can improve firms’ materiality score significantly. Further analysis reveals that environmental committees and CSOs will not interact with each other to influence the KLD scores, materiality score and immateriality score.

My findings provide initial evidence that sustainability-oriented governance mechanisms play a vital role in enhancing firms’ corporate social responsibility performance. The results are particularly important to those companies that are considering appointment to similar governance positions. Last but not the least, the new qualitative classification approaches can provide a more nuanced understanding of industry impacts and leave this open to future research.

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