IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reveco/v83y2023icp348-364.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effect of ESG performance on the cost of equity capital: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Yonghuai
  • Li, Tao
  • Zeng, Qing
  • Zhu, Bo

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of environmental protection, social responsibility and corporate governance (ESG) performance on the cost of equity (COE) capital of Chinese A-Share companies between 2010 and 2020. Benchmark analysis discovers that ESG performance can significantly reduce the cost of equity capital of listed companies, which is robust even when heteroscedasticity, sequence correlation and cross-section correlation are controlled, respectively, or simultaneously. Mediating effects are discovered that ESG can, not only directly, but also indirectly reduce the cost of equity capital by reducing the market risk of enterprises and the increasing of their equity diversification.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Yonghuai & Li, Tao & Zeng, Qing & Zhu, Bo, 2023. "Effect of ESG performance on the cost of equity capital: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 348-364.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:83:y:2023:i:c:p:348-364
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2022.09.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059056022002258
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iref.2022.09.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nigel Driffield & Vidya Mahambare & Sarmistha Pal, 2007. "How does ownership structure affect capital structure and firm value? Recent evidence from East Asia1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 15(3), pages 535-573, July.
    2. Nigel Driffield & Vidya Mahambare & Sarmistha Pal, 2007. "How does ownership structure affect capital structure and firm value?," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 15, pages 535-573, July.
    3. Heinkel, Robert & Kraus, Alan & Zechner, Josef, 2001. "The Effect of Green Investment on Corporate Behavior," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 36(4), pages 431-449, December.
    4. Leonardo Becchetti & Rocco Ciciretti, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Stock Market Performance," CEIS Research Paper 79, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 22 Mar 2006.
    5. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    6. Stephen A. Ross, 2013. "The Arbitrage Theory of Capital Asset Pricing," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Leonard C MacLean & William T Ziemba (ed.), HANDBOOK OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING Part I, chapter 1, pages 11-30, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Merton, Robert C, 1987. "A Simple Model of Capital Market Equilibrium with Incomplete Information," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 42(3), pages 483-510, July.
    8. Malcolm Smith & Khadijah Yahya & Ahmad Marzuki Amiruddin, 2007. "Environmental disclosure and performance reporting in Malaysia," Asian Review of Accounting, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(2), pages 185-199, April.
    9. Pratima Bansal, 2005. "Evolving sustainably: a longitudinal study of corporate sustainable development," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 197-218, March.
    10. Mark P. Sharfman & Chitru S. Fernando, 2008. "Environmental risk management and the cost of capital," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 569-592, June.
    11. Nigel Driffield & Sarmistha Pal, 2007. "How Does Ownership Structure Affect Capital Structure and Firm Value? Recent Evidence from East Asia," CEDI Discussion Paper Series 07-04, Centre for Economic Development and Institutions(CEDI), Brunel University.
    12. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1993. "Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 3-56, February.
    13. William F. Sharpe, 1964. "Capital Asset Prices: A Theory Of Market Equilibrium Under Conditions Of Risk," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 19(3), pages 425-442, September.
    14. Caterina Di Tommaso & John Thornton, 2020. "Do ESG scores effect bank risk taking and value? Evidence from European banks," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(5), pages 2286-2298, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hu, Xinwen & Hua, Renhai & Liu, Qingfu & Wang, Chuanjie, 2023. "The green fog: Environmental rating disagreement and corporate greenwashing," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Yadu Zhang & Yiteng Zhang & Zuoren Sun, 2023. "The Impact of Carbon Emission Trading Policy on Enterprise ESG Performance: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-27, May.
    3. Zhang, Dongyang, 2023. "Subsidy expiration and greenwashing decision: Is there a role of bankruptcy risk?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    4. Wang, Yizhi & Lin, Yongjia & Fu, Xiaoqing & Chen, Songhe, 2023. "Institutional ownership heterogeneity and ESG performance: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    5. Ni, Juan & Jin, Shuchang & Hu, Yi & Zhang, Lei, 2023. "Informative or distracting: CSR disclosure of peer firms and analyst forecast accuracy," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    6. Yunfu Zhu & Haoling Yang & Ma Zhong, 2023. "Do ESG Ratings of Chinese Firms Converge or Diverge? A Comparative Analysis Based on Multiple Domestic and International Ratings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-17, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Trinks, Arjan & Ibikunle, Gbenga & Mulder, Machiel & Scholtens, Bert, 2017. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity and the Cost of Capital," Research Report 17017-EEF, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
    2. Tzouvanas, Panagiotis & Mamatzakis, Emmanuel C., 2021. "Does it pay to invest in environmental stocks?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    3. El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane & Kwok, Chuck C.Y. & Mishra, Dev R., 2011. "Does corporate social responsibility affect the cost of capital?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 2388-2406, September.
    4. Ciciretti, Rocco & Dalò, Ambrogio & Dam, Lammertjan, 2023. "The contributions of betas versus characteristics to the ESG premium," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 104-124.
    5. Adam Zaremba & Jacob Koby Shemer, 2018. "Price-Based Investment Strategies," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-91530-2, September.
    6. Massimo Mariani & Fabio Pizzutilo & Alessandra Caragnano & Marianna Zito, 2021. "Does it pay to be environmentally responsible? Investigating the effect on the weighted average cost of capital: Environmental commitment and the cost of capital," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1854-1869, November.
    7. Lars Hornuf & Gül Yüksel, 2022. "The Performance of Socially Responsible Investments: A Meta-Analysis," CESifo Working Paper Series 9724, CESifo.
    8. De Moor, Lieven & Sercu, Piet, 2013. "The smallest firm effect: An international study," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 129-155.
    9. Cristiana Mǎnescu, 2011. "Stock returns in relation to environmental, social and governance performance: Mispricing or compensation for risk?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(2), pages 95-118, March/Apr.
    10. Arouri, Mohamed El Hedi & Nguyen, Duc Khuong & Pukthuanthong, Kuntara, 2012. "An international CAPM for partially integrated markets: Theory and empirical evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 2473-2493.
    11. Rajnish Mehra & Sunil Wahal & Daruo Xie, 2021. "Is idiosyncratic risk conditionally priced?," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 12(2), pages 625-646, May.
    12. Amit Goyal, 2012. "Empirical cross-sectional asset pricing: a survey," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 26(1), pages 3-38, March.
    13. Chang Liu & Bowen Deng, 2023. "Is it really paid for sustainable development? The economic significance of firms' green practice," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 908-925, April.
    14. Yang Zhang, 2018. "Corporate Governance Effects on Risk Management and Shareholder Wealth: The Case of Mergers and Acquisitions," PhD Thesis, Finance Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, number 4-2018.
    15. Jennie Bai & Turan G. Bali & Quan Wen, 2019. "Is There a Risk-Return Tradeoff in the Corporate Bond Market? Time-Series and Cross-Sectional Evidence," NBER Working Papers 25995, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Ramelli, Stefano & Ossola, Elisa & Rancan, Michela, 2020. "Climate Sin Stocks: Stock Price Reactions to Global Climate Strikes," Working Papers 2020-03, Joint Research Centre, European Commission.
    17. Bouslah, Kais & Kryzanowski, Lawrence & M’Zali, Bouchra, 2013. "The impact of the dimensions of social performance on firm risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1258-1273.
    18. Apalak Khatua, 2017. "Does business group affiliation matter for external debt finance? Evidence from India," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 16(4), pages 290-322, December.
    19. Xuan Vinh Vo, 2023. "Large Shareholders And Information Asymmetry In A Transition Economy €“ Evidence From Vietnam," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 68(05), pages 1551-1567, September.
    20. Pujian Yang & Liu Yang, 2022. "Asset pricing and nominal price illusion in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:83:y:2023:i:c:p:348-364. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620165 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.