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Environmental regulation, green investment and corporate green governance: Evidence from China's New Environmental Protection Law

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  • Mei, Kailong
  • Zhang, Zihao

Abstract

Effective environmental regulation and promotion of green governance and innovation transformation of enterprises helps reconcile high-quality economic development with ecological efficiency. Using a sample of Chinese firms’ data spanning 2010–2022 and the implementation of the new Environmental Protection Law (EPL), this study conducts a quasi-natural experiment and employs a difference-in-differences model to investigate the impact of environmental regulation on corporate green governance and its action mechanism. The results of the analysis show that the implementation of the new EPL significantly enhanced corporate green governance performance by promoting green investment behavior, specifically for large-scale enterprises. This study not only expands the research boundary of the impact of environmental regulation on enterprises but also provides theoretical support and empirical evidence for China to understand the synergy in the development of ecological protection and economic growth.

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  • Mei, Kailong & Zhang, Zihao, 2025. "Environmental regulation, green investment and corporate green governance: Evidence from China's New Environmental Protection Law," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325002430
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.106979
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    2. Lin Qu & Jiwei Shi & Zhijian Yu & Cunkuan Bao, 2025. "Understanding Paradigm Shifts and Asynchrony in Environmental Governance: A Mixed-Methods-Study of China’s Sustainable Development Transition," World, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-28, July.
    3. Osama Ali Mohamed Elkebti & Wagdi M. S. Khalifa, 2025. "Assessing the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives: The Role of Environmental Governance, Renewable Energy Transition, and Innovation in Achieving a Regional Green Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-22, June.

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