Evander Boakye

Research Student

Evander Boakye is affiliated with the Department of Accounting and Finance.

You can email Evander Boakye directly but for media enquiries, please contact a member of The Open University's Media Relations Team.

Biography

I am Evander Boakye, born and raised in Ghana, with an academic and professional background grounded in accounting, finance, and capital markets. I hold a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana (2020), and a Master’s degree in Finance and Data Analytics from the University of Essex, UK (2025).

I am a qualified member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), affiliated with Central London, and trained within internationally recognised accounting and audit standards. Prior to relocating to the UK for postgraduate study, I worked as an Auditor with PKF Ghana between 2021 and 2023, where I gained practical experience in assurance engagements, financial reporting, risk assessment, and compliance, working within the PKF International audit methodology.

My academic and professional journey has been shaped by a longstanding interest in capital markets, corporate reporting, and the role of financial information in investment decision-making. During my master’s programme, I developed strong quantitative and analytical skills, applying econometric and data-driven techniques to financial market analysis, portfolio optimisation, and risk modelling.

My broader research interests lie at the intersection of accounting, finance, and sustainability, with a particular focus on capital markets, investor behaviour, financial disclosures, and the pricing of risk. I am especially interested in how emerging regulatory frameworks and non-financial disclosures, such as climate and sustainability reporting shape market outcomes and influence capital allocation, particularly in developing and transition economies.

Current Research

Climate Disclosures, Capital Markets, and Policy: Evaluating Investor Interpretation and Financial Risk Pricing in the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy

This doctoral research examines how climate-related disclosures influence investor behaviour, capital market outcomes, and financial risk pricing during the transition to a low-carbon economy. Climate change is increasingly recognised as a material financial risk, affecting firms’ cash flows, valuations, and access to capital through physical impacts, regulatory changes, and transition pressures. In response, firms and regulators have introduced enhanced climate disclosure frameworks such as TCFD, IFRS S2 (ISSB), and the EU’s CSRD to improve transparency and reduce information asymmetry in capital markets.

Despite these developments, significant gaps remain. It is still unclear how investors interpret and use climate disclosures, whether such disclosures are genuinely reflected in asset prices and cost of capital, and how effectively regulatory frameworks curb greenwashing. Prior evidence suggests that some firms engage in symbolic or superficial reporting, while inconsistencies in ESG ratings and weak regulatory enforcement further limit the usefulness of disclosures. Moreover, the roles of national climate policies and institutional investors in shaping disclosure quality and market responses are underexplored.

The research aims to empirically assess the effectiveness of emerging climate disclosure regulations in promoting credible, decision-useful reporting and to examine how different types of investors incorporate climate information into investment decisions. It also investigates whether national climate policies and institutional shareholders enhance disclosure quality and align market incentives with long-term sustainability goals.

Using a quantitative research design, the study will analyse secondary data from sources such as Bloomberg and corporate reports, employing regression analysis, event studies, and content analysis to assess relationships between disclosure quality, investor behaviour, asset pricing, and cost of capital.

The study is expected to contribute original evidence on how new global climate disclosure standards affect capital markets, inform policymakers about the effectiveness of current regulations, guide investors on which disclosures are most decision-relevant, and extend theoretical perspectives on disclosure, governance, and sustainability in financial markets.