Paul Lawless

State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are public sector organisations characterised by the state holding a full, majority or significant minority share of ownership. SOEs have attracted renewed attention from scholars in recent years as their economic, social and political importance becomes increasingly recognised. SOEs are currently prevalent in sectors responsible for high levels of environmental damage, most notably energy. Globally, SOEs control 70% of all oil and gas production/extraction facilities and 60% of all coalmines. This has led to calls for SOEs to take the lead in displacing fossil fuel usage in energy and promote low-carbon and renewable alternatives. Moreover, there is growing empirical evidence suggesting SOEs can play a transformative role in building and developing crucial infrastructure required to transition towards net-zero emissions, with 60% of global renewable and nuclear generation currently owned by SOEs. This research focuses on the SOE sector and its contribution to the decarbonisation of Ireland’s energy sector. This involves examining the formulation of sustainable policies mandating and incentivising SOEs to pursue national and international climate objectives. This research will also contribute to the growing discourse on sustainable performance measurement in SOEs; specifically examining the influence pursuit of sustainable objectives has on financial performance. Moreover, this research will enhance our understanding into the influence the setting of public missions has on the current and planned strategies and investments of SOEs.