IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v313y2024ics0360544224035497.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How does China's Winter Heating policy impact corporate sustainable development performance?

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Tianqi
  • Wang, Liwen
  • Zhou, Ping
  • Li, Hailing

Abstract

The China's Winter Heating policy plays a crucial role in China's regional environmental regulatory framework, particularly concerning the challenge of atmospheric pollution. This study investigates the impact of this policy on corporate sustainable development performance in the “2 + 26” cities of the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region (BTH2+26) at the micro-level. It employs a dual perspective focusing on emission reduction and efficiency enhancement (i.e., sustainable development), utilizing a DID model based on the policy shock from the first implementation of the China's Winter Heating policy in 2017. The findings indicate that this policy not only effectively promotes pollution reduction among heavy-polluting companies, thereby enhancing their environmental performance, but also improves their financial performance. Robustness tests confirm the significance of these results. Mechanism analysis reveals that the policy's facilitative effect on heavy-polluting companies is mediated through promoting green innovation and easing financing constraints, with the innovation investment being the main channel to promote the corporate environmental performance. Heterogeneity analysis shows differential impacts across company nature and industry attributes, highlighting the policy's varied effects on environmental performance and financial performance across sectors. This research contributes empirical evidence and policy insights into enhancing sustainable development performance among heavy-polluting companies under the China's Winter Heating policy framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Tianqi & Wang, Liwen & Zhou, Ping & Li, Hailing, 2024. "How does China's Winter Heating policy impact corporate sustainable development performance?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:313:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224035497
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.133771
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544224035497
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2024.133771?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. Paul Lanoie, 2008. "When And Why Does It Pay To Be Green?," CIRANO Papers 2008n-02a, CIRANO.
    2. Jacobson, Louis S & LaLonde, Robert J & Sullivan, Daniel G, 1993. "Earnings Losses of Displaced Workers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(4), pages 685-709, September.
    3. Louis S. Jacobson & Robert J. LaLonde & Daniel G. Sullivan, 1993. "Long-term earnings losses of high-seniority displaced workers," Economic Perspectives, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, vol. 17(Nov), pages 2-20.
    4. Li, Xinze & Du, Kerui & Ouyang, Xiaoling & Liu, Lili, 2022. "Does more stringent environmental regulation induce firms' innovation? Evidence from the 11th Five-year plan in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    5. Marius Ley & Tobias Stucki & Martin Woerter, 2016. "The Impact of Energy Prices on Green Innovation," The Energy Journal, , vol. 37(1), pages 41-76, January.
    6. Rennings, Klaus, 2000. "Redefining innovation -- eco-innovation research and the contribution from ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 319-332, February.
    7. Lamont, Owen & Polk, Christopher & Saa-Requejo, Jesus, 2001. "Financial Constraints and Stock Returns," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 14(2), pages 529-554.
    8. Beltrán, Jaime & Muñuzuri, Jesús & Rivas, Miguel & González, Cristina, 2010. "Metrological management evaluation based on ISO10012: an empirical study in ISO-14001-certified Spanish companies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 140-147.
    9. Finnegan, Stephen & Sharples, Steve & Johnston, Tom & Fulton, Matt, 2018. "The carbon impact of a UK safari park – Application of the GHG protocol using measured energy data," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 256-264.
    10. Wruck, Karen Hopper, 1989. "Equity ownership concentration and firm value : Evidence from private equity financings," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 3-28, June.
    11. Foulon, Jerome & Lanoie, Paul & Laplante, Benoit, 2002. "Incentives for Pollution Control: Regulation or Information?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 169-187, July.
    12. Becker, Bo & Ivashina, Victoria, 2014. "Cyclicality of credit supply: Firm level evidence," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 76-93.
    13. Liu, Haiyue & Jiang, Jie & Xue, Rui & Meng, Xiaofan & Hu, Shiyang, 2022. "Corporate environmental governance scheme and investment efficiency over the course of COVID-19," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    14. Du, Weijian & Li, Mengjie, 2023. "Opening the black box of environmental governance: Environmental target constraints and industrial firm pollution reduction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    15. Bushman, Robert M. & Smith, Abbie J., 2001. "Financial accounting information and corporate governance," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1-3), pages 237-333, December.
    16. Healy, Paul M. & Palepu, Krishna G., 2001. "Information asymmetry, corporate disclosure, and the capital markets: A review of the empirical disclosure literature," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 405-440, September.
    17. Brunnermeier, Smita B. & Cohen, Mark A., 2003. "Determinants of environmental innovation in US manufacturing industries," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 278-293, March.
    18. Zhang, Guidong & Wang, Jianlong & Liu, Yong, 2024. "“Carbon” suppresses “energy” - How does carbon emission right trading policy alleviate the energy trilemma?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    19. 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).
    20. Chen, Ming-Hsiang, 2010. "The economy, tourism growth and corporate performance in the Taiwanese hotel industry," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 665-675.
    21. Zhou, Di & Qiu, Yuan & Wang, Mingzhe, 2021. "Does environmental regulation promote enterprise profitability? Evidence from the implementation of China's newly revised Environmental Protection Law," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    22. Ren, Shenggang & Yang, Xuanyu & Hu, Yucai & Chevallier, Julien, 2022. "Emission trading, induced innovation and firm performance," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    23. Charles J. Hadlock & Joshua R. Pierce, 2010. "New Evidence on Measuring Financial Constraints: Moving Beyond the KZ Index," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(5), pages 1909-1940.
    24. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Chang, Yu-Fang & Wang, En-Ze, 2022. "Crossing the rivers by feeling the stones: The effect of China's green credit policy on manufacturing firms' carbon emission intensity," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    25. Zhang, Lixiao & Yang, Min & Zhang, Pengpeng & Hao, Yan & Lu, Zhongming & Shi, Zhimin, 2021. "De-coal process in urban China: What can we learn from Beijing's experience?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    26. Cui, Liyuan & Chen, Zeyu & Huang, Yanfen & Yu, Huayi, 2024. "Window dressing: Changes in atmospheric pollution at boundaries in response to regional environmental policy in China," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    27. Yang, Tianqi & Shu, Yun & Zhang, Shaohui & Wang, Hongchang & Zhu, Jinwei & Wang, Fan, 2023. "Impacts of end-use electrification on air quality and CO2 emissions in China's northern cities in 2030," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PA).
    28. Zhou, Di & Zhong, Zhuoxi & Chen, Lubin & Gao, Weixin & Wang, Mingzhe, 2022. "Can the joint regional air pollution control policy achieve a win-win outcome for the environment and economy? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 13-33.
    29. Zheng, Shiming & Yao, Rongrong & Zou, Ke, 2022. "Provincial environmental inequality in China: Measurement, influence, and policy instrument choice," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    30. Teagan Goforth & Destenie Nock, 2022. "Air pollution disparities and equality assessments of US national decarbonization strategies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    31. Shenggang Ren & Xuanyu Yang & Yucai Hu & Julien Chevallier, 2022. "Emission trading, induced innovation and firm performance," Post-Print halshs-04250301, HAL.
    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. Wang, Hong & Hu, Xuechen & Li, Hailing, 2023. "Regional production restriction policy and firms’ green transition: Evidence from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    2. Tang, Chang & Xu, Yuanyuan & Hao, Yu & Wu, Haitao & Xue, Yan, 2021. "What is the role of telecommunications infrastructure construction in green technology innovation? A firm-level analysis for China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Zhou, Peng & Song, Frank M. & Huang, Xiaoqi, 2023. "Environmental regulations and firms' green innovations: Transforming pressure into incentives," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    4. Cui, Xin & Wang, Chunfeng & Sensoy, Ahmet & Liao, Jing & Xie, Xiaochen, 2023. "Economic policy uncertainty and green innovation: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Liu, Duan & Yu, Nizhou & Wan, Hong, 2022. "Does water rights trading affect corporate investment? The role of resource allocation and risk mitigation channels," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    6. Qi, Xiulin & Wu, Zhifang & Xu, Jinqing & Shan, Biaoan, 2023. "Environmental justice and green innovation: A quasi-natural experiment based on the establishment of environmental courts in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    7. Zhao, Ziyi & Zhao, Yuhuan & Lv, Xin & Li, Xiaoping & Zheng, Lu & Fan, Shunan & Zuo, Sumin, 2024. "Environmental regulation and green innovation: Does state ownership matter?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    8. Huang, Xiaoqi & Liu, Wei & Zhang, Zhan & Zou, Xinyu & Li, Pujuan, 2023. "Quantity or quality: Environmental legislation and corporate green innovations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(PB).
    9. Li, Jianglong & Gao, Jinfeng & Liao, Meiling, 2024. "Operating risk of enterprises when adopting environmental regulation: Evidence from environmental protection law in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 901-914.
    10. Yuegang Song & Songlin Jin & Zhenhui Li, 2022. "Venture Capital and Chinese Firms’ Technological Innovation Capability: Effective Evaluation and Mechanism Verification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.
    11. Yongkang Lin & Qinghua Song & Lingyun He, 2025. "Can the green finance reform and innovation pilot policy promote green technology innovation?—a novelty evidence from both polluting companies and city commercial banks in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 8403-8431, April.
    12. Zhice Cheng & Xinyuan Chen & Huwei Wen, 2022. "How Does Environmental Protection Tax Affect Corporate Environmental Investment? Evidence from Chinese Listed Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-22, March.
    13. Viet Anh Dang & Edward Lee & Yangke Liu & Cheng Zeng, 2018. "Corporate debt maturity and stock price crash risk," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 24(3), pages 451-484, June.
    14. Andrew Ellul & Marco Pagano & Fabiano Schivardi, 2018. "Employment and Wage Insurance within Firms: Worldwide Evidence," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 31(4), pages 1298-1340.
    15. Liu, Minghao & Xu, Kun & Zhai, Lihong, 2024. "Bank-firm common ownership, green credit and enterprise green technology innovation: Evidence from Chinese credit markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    16. Mo Chen & Xuhua Hu & Jijian Zhang & Zhe Xu & Guang Yang & Zenan Sun, 2023. "Are Firms More Willing to Seek Green Technology Innovation in the Context of Economic Policy Uncertainty? —Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-24, September.
    17. Pereira, Vijay & Nair, Asha KS. & Bhattacharyya, Som Sekhar, 2025. "Exploring and investigating the complementarity and multidimensionality of innovation for sustainability research: Past present and future," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    18. Foley-Fisher, Nathan & Ramcharan, Rodney & Yu, Edison, 2016. "The impact of unconventional monetary policy on firm financing constraints: Evidence from the maturity extension program," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 409-429.
    19. Marshall, Ben R. & Nguyen, Justin Hung & Nguyen, Nhut H. & Visaltanachoti, Nuttawat, 2021. "Does a change in the information environment affect labor adjustment costs?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    20. Song, Wenfei & Han, Xianfeng & Liu, Qiange, 2024. "Patterns of environmental regulation and green innovation in China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 176-192.

    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:energy:v:313:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224035497. 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.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    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.