This study examines the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) assurance and ESG controversies in non-financial STOXX Europe 600 firms from 2016 to 2022. Drawing on agency, legitimacy, and stakeholder theories, we test whether external verification of sustainability reports mitigates reputational and governance risks. Using fixed-effects regression on 3095 firm-year observations and Refinitiv’s ESG Controversy Score, we find CSR assurance is positively associated with controversy scores, indicating assured firms face significantly fewer controversies than non-assured peers. These results directly connect assurance to controversies, an underexplored area. Theoretically, findings reinforce legitimacy and stakeholder theories—suggesting assurance may be reactive—while agency theory highlights how governance reduces ESG risk.

Title

Artificial Intelligence-Driven Triple Helix Innovation

Publisher

Springer

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

None

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

--

Year

2026

Pages

--