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Law and governance in environmental oversight: The role of environmental courts in enhancing corporate information transparency

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  • Liu, Zilong
  • Chen, Rungen
  • Chen, Yu
  • Ye, Qian
  • Fang, Kanglan

Abstract

This study uses China's environmental courts as a quasi-natural experiment to examine their effect on corporate information transparency. Results indicate that environmental courts significantly improve corporate information transparency by strengthening judicial constraints, raising noncompliance costs, and improving external oversight. These effects are stronger for younger firms, private enterprises, and those in regions with less-developed markets. Corporate visibility, measured by analyst coverage and short-term institutional holdings, reinforces these benefits by aligning oversight with market incentives. These findings underscore the role of judicial specialization in promoting transparency and offer practical insights to improve environmental legal systems and corporate disclosure practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Zilong & Chen, Rungen & Chen, Yu & Ye, Qian & Fang, Kanglan, 2025. "Law and governance in environmental oversight: The role of environmental courts in enhancing corporate information transparency," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:80:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325006257
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.107364
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Bin & Li, Li, 2025. "Financial risk under differences in legal efficiency: An analysis of the moderating effect of judicial transparency," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    2. Zhao, Wenqi & Toh, Moau Yong & Zhang, Yongmin, 2025. "The price of green justice: Environmental courts and cross-regional capital immobility," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    3. Hao, Mengshu, 2025. "Impact of CEO turnover on analyst earnings forecasts: A communication disruption perspective," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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