IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v78y2025ics1544612325003393.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can companies’ participation in ESG ratings improve green innovation efficiency? Evidence from Chinese A-share listed companies

Author

Listed:
  • Shen, Ling
  • Yang, Xiaozhong
  • Ma, Guangcheng

Abstract

This study uses data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2001 to 2023. It constructs a dynamic network data envelopment analysis (DNDEA) model and a DID model to empirically study the relationship between corporate participation in ESG ratings and their green innovation efficiency (GIE). The study found that corporate participation in ESG ratings can significantly stimulate the improvement of GIE, and this finding remains valid after robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that ESG ratings can promote GIE by attracting investor attention and easing financing constraints and agency costs. Finally, heterogeneity analysis shows that the incentive effect of participating in ESG ratings is more significant for private companies, large companies, and companies in regions with a high degree of marketization.

Suggested Citation

  • Shen, Ling & Yang, Xiaozhong & Ma, Guangcheng, 2025. "Can companies’ participation in ESG ratings improve green innovation efficiency? Evidence from Chinese A-share listed companies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:78:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325003393
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.107075
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612325003393
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2025.107075?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, Tianyu & Yin, Ding & Li, Xinghua & Xu, Xuegao, 2025. "Media attention, information asymmetry and agribusiness ESG rating divergence," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Yang, Xiangyang & Li, Zijun & Qiu, Zhaoxuan & Wang, Jinmin & Liu, Bei, 2024. "ESG performance and corporate technology innovation: Evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    3. Shi, Jinyan & Yu, Conghui & Li, Yanxi & Wang, Tianhe, 2022. "Does green financial policy affect debt-financing cost of heavy-polluting enterprises? An empirical evidence based on Chinese pilot zones for green finance reform and innovations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    4. Ruxing Lin & Guangcheng Ma & Jianhua Cao, 2024. "Do Green Bonds Help to Improve Enterprises’ Financing Efficiency? Empirical Evidence Based on Chinese A-Share Listed Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-20, August.
    5. James S. Ang & Rebel A. Cole & James Wuh Lin, 2000. "Agency Costs and Ownership Structure," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(1), pages 81-106, February.
    6. Peng, Dan & Kong, Qunxi, 2024. "Corporate green innovation under environmental regulation: The role of ESG ratings and greenwashing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    7. Kassouri, Yacouba & Kacou, Kacou Yves Thierry, 2022. "Does the structure of credit markets affect agricultural development in West African countries?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 588-601.
    8. Ma, Guangcheng & Qin, Jiahong & Zhang, Yumeng, 2023. "Does the carbon emissions trading system reduce carbon emissions by promoting two-way FDI in developing countries? Evidence from Chinese listed companies and cities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    9. 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.
    10. Han Long & Gen‐Fu Feng & Qiang Gong & Chun‐Ping Chang, 2023. "ESG performance and green innovation: An investigation based on quantile regression," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 5102-5118, November.
    11. Ye, Xiaoyu & Tian, Xiangyu, 2025. "Green finance and ESG performance: A quasi-natural experiment on the influence of green financing pilot zones," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PB).
    12. Kathan, Manuel C. & Utz, Sebastian & Dorfleitner, Gregor & Eckberg, Jens & Chmel, Lea, 2025. "What you see is not what you get: ESG scores and greenwashing risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    13. Matthess, Marcel & Kunkel, Stefanie, 2020. "Structural change and digitalization in developing countries: Conceptually linking the two transformations," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    14. Lin, Tzu-Yu & Chiu, Sheng-Hsiung & Yang, Hai-Lan, 2022. "Performance evaluation for regional innovation systems development in China based on the two-stage SBM-DNDEA model," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    15. Gao, Xiang & He, Xixi & Sun, Chuanwang & Wu, Dongmei & Zhang, Jie, 2025. "Innovation in shouldering green responsibility: ESG performance and green technology innovation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    16. Li Wang & Hongyu Yang, 2024. "Digital technology innovation and corporate ESG performance: evidence from China," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 1-32, December.
    17. Liu, Bei & Chen, Ziyi & Wang, Ying & Sun, Xiaolong, 2025. "Fintech empowers enterprises to practice ESG: The role of political background of executives," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    18. Zou, Jin & Zhong, Xiaoying & Gong, Chi & Lu, Xiaoye, 2025. "Examining institutional investor preferences: The influence of ESG ratings on stock holding in China's stock market," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PA).
    19. Guangcheng Ma & Qiyue Xiao & Xiaozhong Yang, 2024. "The impact of equity pledge on inefficient investment: a perspective from family entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 631-661, June.
    20. Zhang, Liming & Zhao, Yuting & Liu, Liang & Sun, Helin & Wang, Yue, 2025. "The spatial effects of green-innovation coupling and coordinated development from the perspective of digital inclusive finance: Evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    21. Wang, Changyu & Wang, Huancheng, 2024. "Can the environmental trading enhance corporate green innovation efficiency?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
    22. Li, Jinning & Kong, Tao & Gu, Liangliang, 2024. "The impact of climate policy uncertainty on green innovation in Chinese agricultural enterprises," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PA).
    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. Jiang, Lisha & Zhou, Wei & Hualiang, Wu & Deng, Wei, 2025. "Impact of business environment uncertainty on ESG performance from the perspective of resource supply and demand based on ESG performance," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 1012-1030.
    2. Shang, Yuping & Xiao, Zisheng & Nasim, Asma & Zhao, Xin, 2025. "Influence of ESG on corporate debt default risk: An analysis of the dual risk scenarios," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    3. Yang, Haiyan & Tang, Feier & Hu, Fang & Yao, Daifei, 2025. "Corporate ESG performance and abnormal cash dividends," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    4. Yuan, Li & Rao, Siqi & Yang, Shenggang & Dai, Pengyi, 2023. "Does equity market openness increase productivity? the dual effects of Shanghai-Hong Kong stock Connect program in China," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    5. Guo, Shu & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2023. "Green credit policy and total factor productivity: Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    6. Lei, Hao & Gao, Renyuan & Ning, Chutong & Sun, Guanglin, 2025. "Green finance and corporate green innovation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    7. Jin, Shaorong & Xiong, Ruoyu & Peng, Huan & Tang, Shiyu, 2025. "ESG performance and private enterprise resilience: Evidence from Chinese financial markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    8. 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).
    9. Cuicui Huang, 2025. "Digital transformation and corporate ESG performance: Research based on a capability-motivation dual framework," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(6), pages 1-27, June.
    10. Reto Wernli & Andreas Dietrich, 2022. "Only the brave: improving self-rationing efficiency among discouraged Swiss SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 977-1003, October.
    11. Yang, Haiyan & Chen, Linlin & Zhang, Yuyu, 2024. "Political conformity and digital transformation: Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 1979-1997.
    12. Shi, Jinyan & Yang, Jianheng & Li, Yanxi, 2020. "Does supply network location affect corporate investment efficiency?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    13. Yan Ma & Gen‐Fu Feng & Zhu‐jia Yin & Chun‐Ping Chang, 2025. "ESG disclosures, green innovation, and greenwashing: All for sustainable development?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 1797-1815, April.
    14. Anzhu Xue & Guang Yang & Hui Wang, 2025. "The Impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) on the Green Development of Listed Companies in China’s Agricultural and Forestry Industries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-26, May.
    15. Cheng, Chen & Qiu, Ke & Yang, Yufan, 2024. "The imprint effect of initial institutional environments and bank financing in family businesses," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    16. Shao, Yanmin & Xu, Kunliang & Shan, Yuan George, 2024. "Leveraging corporate digitalization for green technology innovation: The mediating role of resource endowments," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    17. Sun, Liwen & Han, Ying, 2024. "Joint credit system and corporate green innovation: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment on implementing the Administration of Joint Credit," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 69(PA).
    18. Wen, Bohui & You, Wei & Yuan, Ming, 2025. "The Impact of commercial banks' ESG performance: Difference between provocative and passive risk-taking – Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    19. Sun, Yanyang & Gao, Jun & Wu, Wenruo & Liu, Suyi, 2025. "ESG performance and corporate fraud: Evidence based on the MOE framework," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    20. Chen, Yinghui & Tong, Ying & Zhou, Can, 2024. "Non-mandatory approaches to corporate environmental engagement: Insights from the Belt and Road Initiative," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 1287-1301.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation

    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:finlet:v:78:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325003393. 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/frl .

    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.