IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecofin/v77y2025ics1062940825000427.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Green credit and systemic risk: From the perspectives of policy and scale

Author

Listed:
  • Lee, Chien-Chiang
  • Xiao, Qian
  • Zhang, Xiaoming

Abstract

After putting forward the twin goals of peak emissions and carbon neutrality, China is now paying greater attention to green finance development. As the main conduit for implementing green credit policy, commercial banks generally focus on the impact of systemic risk within their own industry. Based on data from listed commercial banks in China from 2008 to 2021, this research uses the conditional value at risk (CoVaR) model to measure systemic risk. The empirical results show that implementing green credit policy lowers banks’ systemic risk, whereas increasing the scale of green credit significantly cuts the systemic risk level of banks overall, large state-owned commercial banks, and joint-stock commercial banks. The findings further illustrate that commercial banks alleviate the systemic risks of banks by reducing the capital adequacy ratio and the non-performing loan ratio while actively issuing green credit.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Chien-Chiang & Xiao, Qian & Zhang, Xiaoming, 2025. "Green credit and systemic risk: From the perspectives of policy and scale," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecofin:v:77:y:2025:i:c:s1062940825000427
    DOI: 10.1016/j.najef.2025.102402
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1062940825000427
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.najef.2025.102402?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chen, Naiwei & Huang, Hsiu-Hsi & Lin, Chia-He, 2018. "Equator principles and bank liquidity," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 185-202.
    2. Wu, Meng-Wen & Shen, Chung-Hua, 2013. "Corporate social responsibility in the banking industry: Motives and financial performance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 3529-3547.
    3. Robert G. King & Ross Levine, 1993. "Finance and Growth: Schumpeter Might Be Right," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(3), pages 717-737.
    4. Çekin, Semih Emre & Ivashchenko, Sergey & Gupta, Rangan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2024. "Real-time forecast of DSGE models with time-varying volatility in GARCH form," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    5. Buch, Claudia M. & Krause, Thomas & Tonzer, Lena, 2019. "Drivers of systemic risk: Do national and European perspectives differ?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 160-176.
    6. Aurélien Leroy, 2019. "Banking competition, financial dependence and productivity growth in Europe," Post-Print hal-03537519, HAL.
    7. Sultanuzzaman, Md Reza & Yahya, Farzan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2024. "Exploring the complex interplay of green finance, business cycles, and energy development," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    8. Hsieh, Meng-Fen & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2020. "Foreign bank lending during a crisis: The impact of financial regulations," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(3).
    9. Laeven, Luc & Levine, Ross, 2009. "Bank governance, regulation and risk taking," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 259-275, August.
    10. Gan, Xiao Dong & Zheng, Xiao Yu & Li, Cong Cong & Zhu, Gui Qin, 2024. "Green bond issuance and trade credit access: Evidence from Chinese bond market," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    11. Luo, Sumei & Yu, Shenghui & Zhou, Guangyou, 2021. "Does green credit improve the core competence of commercial banks? Based on quasi-natural experiments in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    12. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chang-song & He, Zhiwen & Xing, Wen-wu & Wang, Keying, 2023. "How does green finance affect energy efficiency? The role of green technology innovation and energy structure," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(P1).
    13. Morck, Randall & Deniz Yavuz, M. & Yeung, Bernard, 2011. "Banking system control, capital allocation, and economy performance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(2), pages 264-283, May.
    14. Armanious, Amir, 2024. "Too-systemic-to-fail: Empirical comparison of systemic risk measures in the Eurozone financial system," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    15. Ehlers, Torsten & Packer, Frank & de Greiff, Kathrin, 2022. "The pricing of carbon risk in syndicated loans: Which risks are priced and why?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    16. Monica DiLeo, 2023. "Climate policy at the Bank of England: the possibilities and limits of green central banking," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 671-688, July.
    17. Wen, Huwei & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Zhou, Fengxiu, 2021. "Green credit policy, credit allocation efficiency and upgrade of energy-intensive enterprises," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    18. Girardi, Giulio & Tolga Ergün, A., 2013. "Systemic risk measurement: Multivariate GARCH estimation of CoVaR," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 3169-3180.
    19. Li Cai & Jinhua Cui & Hoje Jo, 2016. "Corporate Environmental Responsibility and Firm Risk," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 563-594, December.
    20. Aurélien Leroy, 2019. "Banking competition, financial dependence and productivity growth in Europe," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 159, pages 1-17.
    21. David C. Wheelock & Paul W. Wilson, 2018. "The evolution of scale economies in US banking," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 16-28, January.
    22. Yahya, Farzan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2023. "Disentangling the asymmetric effect of financialization on the green output gap," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    23. Jonathan Bridges & David Gregory & Mette Nielsen & Silvia Pezzini & Amar Radia & Marco Spaltro, 2014. "The impact of capital requirements on bank lending," Bank of England working papers 486, Bank of England.
    24. Olubunmi Adewole Ogunode & Olaolu Ayodeji Awoniyi & Ayodeji Temitope Ajibade, 2022. "Capital adequacy and corporate performance of non-financial firms: Empirical evidence from Nigeria," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 2156089-215, December.
    25. Hussain, Jafar & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Chen, Yongxiu, 2022. "Optimal green technology investment and emission reduction in emissions generating companies under the support of green bond and subsidy," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    26. Sufian, Fadzlan & Habibullah, Muzafar Shah, 2012. "Globalizations and bank performance in China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 221-239.
    27. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, En-Ze & Tang, Huimin, 2024. "Green fiscal policy and carbon emission: Enterprises’ level evidence from China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    28. Wu, Meiqin & Li, Changhong & Fan, Jianping & Wang, Xiangyu & Wu, Zhenyu, 2018. "Assessing the global productive efficiency of Chinese banks using the cross-efficiency interval and VIKOR," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 77-86.
    29. Qian Chen & Chuang Shen, 2024. "How FinTech Affects Bank Systemic Risk: Evidence from China," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 65(1), pages 77-101, February.
    30. Wang, Chih-Wei & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wu, Lin-Tan, 2023. "The relationship between cash flow uncertainty and extreme risk: International evidence," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    31. Zhang, Lixia & Sun, Huaping & Pu, Tianlong & Sun, Hui & Chen, Zhenling, 2024. "Do green finance and hi-tech innovation facilitate sustainable development? Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1430-1442.
    32. Shao, Hanhua & Wang, Yaning & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wen, Huwei, 2024. "How does political stability affect renewable energy finance? International evidence," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    33. Chen, Gongmeng & Firth, Michael & Xu, Liping, 2009. "Does the type of ownership control matter? Evidence from China's listed companies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 171-181, January.
    34. repec:bla:jfinan:v:43:y:1988:i:5:p:1219-33 is not listed on IDEAS
    35. Avital Eshet, 2017. "Sustainable finance? The environmental impact of the 'equator principles' and the credit industry," International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(2/3), pages 106-129.
    36. Zhou, Guangyou & Sun, Yongkun & Luo, Sumei & Liao, Jiayi, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility and bank financial performance in China: The moderating role of green credit," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    37. Scholtens, Bert & Dam, Lammertjan, 2007. "Banking on the Equator. Are Banks that Adopted the Equator Principles Different from Non-Adopters?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1307-1328, August.
    38. Luo, Kang & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Zhuo, Chong, 2024. "A pathway to coordinated regional development: Energy utilization efficiency and green development - Evidence from China's major national strategic zones," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    39. Dong, Xiao & Yu, Mingzhe, 2024. "Green bond issuance and green innovation: Evidence from China's energy industry," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    40. ., 2002. "Environmental management and corporate finance," Chapters, in: The Environment in Corporate Management, chapter 6, pages 199-248, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    41. Xiao Yan Zhou & Ben Caldecott & Andreas G. F. Hoepner & Yao Wang, 2022. "Bank green lending and credit risk: an empirical analysis of China's Green Credit Policy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1623-1640, May.
    42. Zhang, Xiaoming & Wei, Chunyan & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Tian, Yiming, 2023. "Systemic risk of Chinese financial institutions and asset price bubbles," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    43. Mingzhe Yu & Qiang Zhou & Mui Yee Cheok & Jakub Kubiczek & Nadeem Iqbal, 2022. "Does green finance improve energy efficiency? New evidence from developing and developed economies," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 485-509, February.
    44. Chen, Qian & Shen, Chuang, 2023. "Deposit insurance system, risk-adjusted premium and bank systemic risk: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    45. Jeongsim Kim, 2018. "Bank Competition And Financial Stability: Liquidity Risk Perspective," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 36(2), pages 337-362, April.
    46. Yuan, Mengyi & Zhang, Lin & Lian, Yonghui, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty and stock price crash risk of commercial banks: Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 587-605.
    47. Lv, Chengchao & Bian, Baocheng & Lee, Chien-Chiang & He, Zhiwen, 2021. "Regional gap and the trend of green finance development in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    48. Zhang, Xingmin & Fu, Qiang & Lu, Liping & Wang, Qingyu & Zhang, Shuai, 2021. "Bank liquidity creation, network contagion and systemic risk: Evidence from Chinese listed banks," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    49. Bo Liu & Chang Liu & Jiangang Peng, 2018. "Interest Rate Pass-Through in China: An Analysis of Chinese Commercial Banks," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(13), pages 3051-3063, October.
    50. Malcolm Baker & Jeffrey Wurgler, 2015. "Do Strict Capital Requirements Raise the Cost of Capital? Bank Regulation, Capital Structure, and the Low-Risk Anomaly," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(5), pages 315-320, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Yurong & Zhang, Xiaoming, 2023. "Corporate governance and systemic risk: Evidence from Chinese-listed banks," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 180-202.
    2. Yamin Li & Guo Wu, 2025. "The green advantage: mapping the profit power of green credit in commercial banks," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 1-29, April.
    3. Florian Neitzert & Matthias Petras, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility and bank risk," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 92(3), pages 397-428, April.
    4. Abakah, Emmanuel Joel Aikins & Shao, David Xuefeng & Tiwari, Aviral Kumar & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2024. "Asymmetric relationship between carbon market and energy markets," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    5. Luo, Sumei & Yu, Shenghui & Zhou, Guangyou, 2021. "Does green credit improve the core competence of commercial banks? Based on quasi-natural experiments in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    6. Francesco Gangi & Antonio Meles & Eugenio D'Angelo & Lucia Michela Daniele, 2019. "Sustainable development and corporate governance in the financial system: Are environmentally friendly banks less risky?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(3), pages 529-547, May.
    7. Huang, Hongyun & Mbanyele, William & Wang, Fengrong & Song, Malin & Wang, Yuzhang, 2022. "Climbing the quality ladder of green innovation: Does green finance matter?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    8. Chen, Di & Hu, Haiqing & Wang, Ning & Chang, Chun-Ping, 2024. "The impact of green finance on transformation to green energy: Evidence from industrial enterprises in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    9. de Moraes, Claudio Oliveira & Cunha, Leonardo Vieira & Galvis-Ciro, Juan Camilo, 2024. "Banking sustainability in a large emerging economy: Focus on Brazilian banks," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    10. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chih-Wei & Thinh, Bui Tien, 2023. "Green development, climate risks, and cash flow: International evidence," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. Gupta, Juhi & Kashiramka, Smita, 2024. "Examining the impact of liquidity creation on bank stability in the Asia Pacific region: Do ESG disclosures play a moderating role?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    12. Zhang, Jie & Wei, Huiru & Yuan, Kuiran & Yang, Xiaodong, 2024. "New industrial policy and corporate digital transformation: Empowering or impairing? Emerging evidence from green credit policy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    13. Shabir, Mohsin & Jiang, Ping & Shahab, Yasir & Wang, Peng, 2023. "Geopolitical, economic uncertainty and bank risk: Do CEO power and board strength matter?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    14. Vera Mirovic & Branimir Kalas & Ines Djokic & Nikola Milicevic & Nenad Djokic & Milos Djakovic, 2023. "Green Loans in Bank Portfolio: Financial and Marketing Implications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-14, March.
    15. Xiaoming Zhang & Wenzhe Zhang & Chien‐Chiang Lee, 2025. "Bank leverage and systemic risk: Impact of bank risk‐taking and inter‐bank business," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 1450-1474, April.
    16. Zhang, Zheng & Wang, Wenxue & Song, Ciji, 2024. "Quantitative easing and bank risk-taking: Evidence from the federal reserve's large-scale asset purchases," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PA).
    17. Sultanuzzaman, Md Reza & Yahya, Farzan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2024. "Exploring the complex interplay of green finance, business cycles, and energy development," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    18. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chih-Wei & Thinh, Bui Tien & Xu, Zhi-Ting, 2022. "Climate risk and bank liquidity creation: International evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    19. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Fuhao & Lou, Runchi & Wang, Keying, 2023. "How does green finance drive the decarbonization of the economy? Empirical evidence from China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 671-684.
    20. Yahya, Farzan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2023. "Disentangling the asymmetric effect of financialization on the green output gap," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ecofin:v:77:y:2025:i:c:s1062940825000427. 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/620163 .

    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.