IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finana/v102y2025ics1057521925002376.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

China's green transformation under the dual incentives of economic growth and environmental protection

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang, Shujun
  • Chen, Dingyang
  • Zou, Qifeng

Abstract

Drawing on panel data from 31 provinces in China from 2008 to 2020, this study examines the effects of green transformation on regional economic growth and environmental protection. Results demonstrate that green transformation significantly improves both regional economic growth and environmental sustainability. This outcome is robust under a series of validation tests. Moreover, digital economy policies positively moderate the green transformation process, significantly increasing the efficiency of environmental measures and the achievement of related objectives. However, for heterogeneity tests show that the impact of green transformation can differ according to population density. Overall, these results underscore the importance of formulating targeted regional green transformation strategies, especially in developing countries experiencing rapid economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Shujun & Chen, Dingyang & Zou, Qifeng, 2025. "China's green transformation under the dual incentives of economic growth and environmental protection," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:102:y:2025:i:c:s1057521925002376
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2025.104150
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057521925002376
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.irfa.2025.104150?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. Li, Weihao & Hu, Hongbing & Hong, Zekun, 2024. "Green finance policy, ESG rating, and cost of debt——Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    2. Ding, Qian & Huang, Jianbai & Zhang, Hongwei, 2022. "Time-frequency spillovers among carbon, fossil energy and clean energy markets: The effects of attention to climate change," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Zhang, Ge & Guo, Bingnan & Lin, Ji, 2023. "The impact of green finance on enterprise investment and financing," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    4. Du, Yanan & Wang, Qingxi & Zhou, Jianping, 2023. "How does digital inclusive finance affect economic resilience: Evidence from 285 cities in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    5. Deng, Wenyueyang & Zhang, Zenglian & Guo, Borui, 2024. "Firm-level carbon risk awareness and Green transformation: A research on the motivation and consequences from government regulation and regional development perspective," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Wong, Zoey & Li, Rongrong & Peng, Dan & Kong, Qunxi, 2021. "China-european railway, investment heterogeneity, and the quality of urban economic growth," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    7. Zhang, Xinyi & Wang, Tianqi & Chen, Yufan, 2024. "Does digital finance contribute to regional economic growth? Evidence from RCEP countries," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
    8. Xue, Dawei & Feng, Jiayin & zhu, Zhihong, 2023. "Governmental subsidies, corporate environmental investments and firm performance: Evidence based on oil & petroleum industry," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    9. Zhang, Dongyang, 2022. "Environmental regulation and firm product quality improvement: How does the greenwashing response?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    10. Sun, Yumeng, 2024. "Digital transformation and corporates' green technology innovation performance–The mediating role of knowledge sharing," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PA).
    11. Yu, Zhichao & Xie, Wenlan & Guo, Junjie & Yang, Zhongyu, 2024. "Green effect of energy transition policy: A quasi-natural experiment based on new energy demonstration cities," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    12. Wang, Juxian & Ma, Mengdi & Dong, Tianyi & Zhang, Zheyuan, 2023. "Do ESG ratings promote corporate green innovation? A quasi-natural experiment based on SynTao Green Finance's ESG ratings," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    13. Liu, Xing & Liu, Fengzhong, 2022. "Environmental regulation and corporate financial asset allocation: A natural experiment from the new environmental protection law in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    14. Chen, Chen & Zhang, Tian & Chen, Haitao & Qi, Xiulin, 2024. "Regional financial reform and corporate green innovation–Evidence based on the establishment of China National Financial Comprehensive Reform Pilot Zones," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    15. Zhang, Yingying & Wang, Xinpeng & Feng, Nianqiao, 2024. "The path of green finance to promote the realization of low-carbon economic transformation under the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals: Theoretical model and empirical analysis," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    16. Fan, Hongmin & Liang, Chen, 2023. "The pollutant and carbon emissions reduction synergistic effect of green fiscal policy: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    17. Zhen, Zhiyong & Cao, Ruoshan & Gan, Xiaohang & Wang, Chen, 2024. "The impact of digital finance on urban entrepreneurial activity: The moderating effect of advanced human capital structure," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    18. Wu, Fei & Hu, Yan & Shen, Me, 2024. "The color of FinTech: FinTech and corporate green transformation in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    19. Teng, Mingming & Tan, Weijie, 2023. "Bank branch agglomeration and corporate green transformation: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    20. Wang, Zhen & Chu, Erming & Hao, Yukai, 2024. "Towards sustainable development: How does ESG performance promotes corporate green transformation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    21. He, Yu & Liu, Ruizhi, 2023. "The impact of the level of green finance development on corporate debt financing capacity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    22. Liu, Menghe & Li, Yuxiao, 2022. "Environmental regulation and green innovation: Evidence from China's carbon emissions trading policy," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    23. Jin Sheng & Yubin Gao, 2023. "Combining the financial development and stock market return for green economic recovery in selected developing economies," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 3885-3908, December.
    24. Li, Yulei & Hu, Shiyang & Zhang, Shu & Xue, Rui, 2023. "The Power of the Imperial Envoy: The Impact of Central Government Onsite Environmental Supervision Policy on Corporate Green Innovation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    25. Han, Yingwei & Li, Jie, 2022. "Should investors include green bonds in their portfolios? Evidence for the USA and Europe," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    26. Wang, Jia & Zhang, Shuying, 2024. "Environmental protection tax, green innovation, and environmental, social, and governance performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    27. Wang, Zhen & Chu, Erming & Hao, Yukai, 2024. "Retraction notice to “ Towards sustainable development: How does ESG performance promotes corporate green transformation”," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PC).
    28. Purcel, Alexandra-Anca, 2023. "Environmental protection expenditures and EU ETS: Evidence from Romania," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    29. Guo, Yuanyu & Xie, Wenlan & Yang, Yang, 2024. "Dual green innovation capability, environmental regulation intensity, and high-quality economic development in China: Can green and growth go together?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    30. Li, Yueqi & Liu, Huwen & Kim, Youngbae & Lee, Hae Young, 2024. "Focus on the impact and predictive analysis of digitalization and green finance on the transformation of mineral and energy companies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    31. Jiang, Jiatong & Pei, Jiansuo & Zhang, Meng, 2024. "Green credit and firms’ span of global production stages," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    32. Wong, Zoey & Li, Rongrong & Zhang, Yidie & Kong, Qunxi & Cai, Molly, 2021. "Financial services, spatial agglomeration, and the quality of urban economic growth–based on an empirical analysis of 268 cities in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    33. 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.
    34. Huang, Zijie & Cao, June & Pan, Lei, 2024. "Greening your way to profits: Green strategies and green revenues," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    35. Zhang, Wenyan & Wang, Yanan, 2023. "Impacts of subsidy reallocation policy on the innovative performance: Empirical evidence from photovoltaic industry in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    36. Chen, Zhonglu & Wang, Chuan & Bai, Fan, 2024. "Greenhouse gas emissions and global real economic activities," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    37. Jing, Ruifeng & Liu, Ruizhi, 2024. "The impact of green finance on persistence of green innovation at firm-level: A moderating perspective based on environmental regulation intensity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
    38. Zhao, Lihong & Yuan, Huiai, 2024. "Digital transformation and the herd effect of corporate green investment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    39. Yang, Tongbin & Zhou, Bo, 2024. "Local FinTech development, industrial structure, and north-south economic disparity in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    40. Zhuo Wang & Muhammad Sadiq Shahid & Nguyen Binh An & Mohsin Shahzad & Zulkiflee Abdul-Samad, 2022. "Does green finance facilitate firms in achieving corporate social responsibility goals?," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 5400-5419, December.
    41. Xu, Dandan & Guo, Dongli & Yue, Pengpeng & Li, Mengshi, 2024. "Household green consumption: Does digital inclusion matter?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    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. Peng, Changhong & Chen, Dongjing & Jia, Daizheng & Liu, Qiao & Xu, Xin, 2025. "Can green credit policies reduce enterprise risk? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    2. Ma, Zongguo & Ding, Chenhui & Wang, Xu & Huang, Qiaozhi, 2025. "Carbon emission reduction development, digital economy, and green transformation of China's manufacturing industry," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    3. Xiao, Biyun & Li, Haibo, 2025. "Financial efficiency, green innovation and green total factor productivity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. Zhang, Liyuan & Luo, Zhenqing & Yu, Xiaoyuan & Yang, Qiming & Wang, Jiancong, 2025. "Economic policy uncertainty and corporate green innovation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    5. Wang, Pei & Xue, Weixian & Wang, Zhuan, 2024. "Fog and haze control and enterprise green total factor productivity - evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    6. Sun, Zhonghua & Wei, Wei, 2025. "Green technology innovation and corporate brand competitiveness: an analysis based on the role of environmental policy," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    7. Ma, Li & Li, Danna, 2024. "Would macro policy promote green and low-carbon transformation of energy companies?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    8. Tan, Yingxue & Lin, Bo & Wang, Leyi, 2025. "Green finance and corporate environmental performance," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    9. Cai, Xiaotong & Lin, Peiyang & Wang, Rui, 2025. "Intelligent manufacturing and corporate green transformation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    10. Zhao, Qiuhan & Fan, Liangxian & Chen, Honglin & Yang, Yixing & Wang, Zifu, 2025. "Green innovation and carbon emission reduction: Empirical insights from spatial durbin and dynamic threshold models," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    11. Wu, Jiaxi & Wang, Shali & Zhang, Rui & Zhao, Meilin & Sun, Xialing & Qie, Xiaotong & Wang, Yue, 2025. "Measurement of green innovation efficiency in Chinese listed energy-intensive enterprises based on the three stage Super-SBM model," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    12. Hu, Haichuan & Jia, Zhenting & Yang, Siyao, 2025. "Exploring FinTech, green finance, and ESG performance across corporate life-cycles," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    13. Wang, Huizong & Hao, Yulong & Fu, Qiang, 2024. "Data factor agglomeration and urban green finance: A quasi-natural experiment based on the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    14. Zhang, Zhengyong & Cui, Wanjing & Deng, Xiaoxiao, 2025. "Can executive green experience improve enterprise total factor productivity? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    15. Li, Zetong & Cao, Jingjie, 2025. "Enhancing green total factor productivity through corporate social responsibility: The moderating effect of environmental regulations," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    16. Lan, Bo & Li, Nan & Liu, Tong, 2025. "How do economic growth and unemployment affect green development in Latin America nations?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    17. Wang, Siheng & Zhang, Xin, 2025. "Environmental courts, financing constraints, and corporate green innovation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    18. Yang, Zongshang & Li, Juan & Zhu, Lijun & Chen, Haisong, 2025. "Can strengthening legal systems enhance regional green total factor productivity?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    19. Yan, Sicong & Lv, Yang & Chen, Chaoqi & Hua, Jingtian, 2025. "New environmental protection law, polluting enterprises and corporate green technological innovation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    20. Liao, Zhaoguang & Xiao, Luan, 2025. "Government environmental regulation, media attention, and corporate green innovation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(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:finana:v:102:y:2025:i:c:s1057521925002376. 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/620166 .

    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.