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The Impact of Green Credit Policy on Technological Innovation of Firms in Pollution-Intensive Industries: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Shixian Ling

    (Business School, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China)

  • Guosheng Han

    (Business School, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China)

  • Dong An

    (College of Business Administration, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China)

  • William Cannon Hunter

    (Department of Convention Management, College of Hotel & Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea)

  • Hui Li

    (School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264209, China)

Abstract

How to promote technological innovation with green finance policy has been a focal topic in the global green finance field in recent years. Using the difference-in-difference approach model, this paper investigated the impact of the Green Credit Guidance (GCG) policy implemented by the Chinese government in 2012 on the technological innovation of firms in pollution-intensive industries. The empirical results indicated that GCG had a negative impact, not only on research and development (R&D) input, but also on innovation output, and the impacts on firms with different property rights and different scales were consistent. Further research showed that GCG reduced the long-term debt of firms in pollution-intensive industries, and then significantly decreased the R&D input and innovation output; that is, long-term debt is a mediator in GCG and technology innovation. The results revealed that GCG fails to promote the technological innovation of firms in pollution-intensive industries. This paper suggests that China’s green credit policy should pay more attention to the technological innovation, transformation, and upgrading of firms in pollution-intensive industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Shixian Ling & Guosheng Han & Dong An & William Cannon Hunter & Hui Li, 2020. "The Impact of Green Credit Policy on Technological Innovation of Firms in Pollution-Intensive Industries: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:11:p:4493-:d:366002
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    Cited by:

    1. Junjian Wu & Jennifer Shang, 2021. "Green Credit Financing Equilibrium under Government Subsidy and Supply Uncertainty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-22, November.
    2. Yanli Wang & Xiaodong Lei & Dongxiao Zhao & Ruyin Long & Meifen Wu, 2021. "The Dual Impacts of Green Credit on Economy and Environment: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-13, April.
    3. Hu, Yi & Jin, Shuchang & Ni, Juan & Peng, Kai & Zhang, Lei, 2023. "Strategic or substantive green innovation: How do non-green firms respond to green credit policy?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    4. M. P. Afanas’ev & N. N. Shash, 2022. "ESG Transformation in the Corporate Sector: Systematizing the Global Approach," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 33(6), pages 707-715, December.
    5. Xuezhen Xiong, 2022. "The Impact of Environmental Protection Requirements on the Development of Green Animal Husbandry: An Evolutionary Game between Local Governments and Breeding Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-20, November.
    6. Yanwei Lyu & Yangyang Bai & Jinning Zhang, 2024. "Green finance policy and enterprise green development: Evidence from China," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 414-432, January.
    7. Yuming Zhang & Chao Xing & David Tripe, 2020. "Redistribution of China’s Green Credit Policy among Environment-Friendly Manufacturing Firms of Various Sizes: Do Banks Value Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-28, December.
    8. Bhatnagar, S. & Sharma, D., 2022. "Evolution of green finance and its enablers: A bibliometric analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    9. Cui, Xin & Wang, Panpan & Sensoy, Ahmet & Nguyen, Duc Khuong & Pan, Yuying, 2022. "Green Credit Policy and Corporate Productivity: Evidence from a Quasi-natural Experiment in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    10. Zhengge Song & Jingjing Tang & Haijian Zeng & Fangying Pang, 2024. "How Urban-Level Credit Expansion Affects the Quality of Green Innovation: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-22, February.
    11. Zhifeng Zhang & Hongyan Duan & Shuangshuang Shan & Qingzhi Liu & Wenhui Geng, 2022. "The Impact of Green Credit on the Green Innovation Level of Heavy-Polluting Enterprises—Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-19, January.
    12. Song, Malin & Xie, Qianjiao & Shen, Zhiyang, 2021. "Impact of green credit on high-efficiency utilization of energy in China considering environmental constraints," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    13. Haoyang Tan & Qiang Zhang, 2021. "Application of Blockchain Hierarchical Model in the Realm of Rural Green Credit Investigation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-9, January.

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