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Does CEOs’ green experience affect environmental corporate social responsibility? Evidence from China

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  • Huang, Ruilei
  • Wei, Jiuchang

Abstract

This study explores the impact of chief executive officers’ (CEOs) green experience on environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) by analyzing the 5373 firm-year observations from China. The result shows that hiring green CEOs increases environmental protection investment (EPI), environmental compliance, and ESG ratings, significantly for firms in non-polluting sectors. Channel analysis shows that CEOs with green-related experience improve their environmental consciousness, which stimulates corporate environmental behavior. The positive effects of green CEOs are more pronounced in firms with high-quality digital transformation and better internal and external governance mechanisms. Our results survive a battery of robustness tests, such as endogeneity concerns, alternative measures, and heterogeneity analysis. Overall, this study provides a theoretical contribution to the study of managerial characteristics and environmental governance based on work experience and educational background in emerging countries.

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  • Huang, Ruilei & Wei, Jiuchang, 2023. "Does CEOs’ green experience affect environmental corporate social responsibility? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 205-231.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecanpo:v:79:y:2023:i:c:p:205-231
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eap.2023.06.012
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