IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/glofin/v68y2025ics1044028325001279.html

Green finance reform and reshaping firm-banking relationships: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Wu, Xiaoying
  • Kang, Hyoung-Goo
  • Ryu, Doojin

Abstract

This study examines how policy-driven green finance reform reshapes firm-banking relationships, using the implementation of China's Green Finance Pilot Zones (GFPZ) as a quasi-natural experiment. Employing loan announcement data from listed firms and a difference-in-differences approach, we measure the intensity of firm-banking relationships using repeated borrowing activity and find that the GFPZ policy significantly reduces it. The effect is more pronounced in regions with greater banking competition and financial development, and among firms that are more transparent or under stricter environmental scrutiny. By showing how sustainability-oriented policies transform financial relationships, this study provides new insights into the adaptation of firm-banking interactions under green development agendas.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu, Xiaoying & Kang, Hyoung-Goo & Ryu, Doojin, 2025. "Green finance reform and reshaping firm-banking relationships: Evidence from China," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:glofin:v:68:y:2025:i:c:s1044028325001279
    DOI: 10.1016/j.gfj.2025.101200
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1044028325001279
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.gfj.2025.101200?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. Guariglia, Alessandra & Liu, Xiaoxuan & Song, Lina, 2011. "Internal finance and growth: Microeconometric evidence on Chinese firms," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 79-94, September.
    2. Bose, Sudipta & Shams, Syed & Ali, Searat & Al Mamun, Abdullah & Chang, Millicent, 2024. "Economic policy uncertainty, carbon emissions and firm valuation: International evidence," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(6).
    3. Green, Daniel & Vallee, Boris, 2025. "Measurement and effects of bank exit policies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    4. Böhm, Adrian & Eufinger, Christian & Kadach, Igor & Sakasai, Yuki, 2025. "Green banking illusion? The influence of “Eco-Conscious” bank shareholders on credit allocation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    5. Presbitero, Andrea F. & Zazzaro, Alberto, 2011. "Competition and relationship lending: Friends or foes?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 387-413, July.
    6. Campello, Murillo & Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R., 2010. "The real effects of financial constraints: Evidence from a financial crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(3), pages 470-487, September.
    7. Calderon, Cesar & Liu, Lin, 2003. "The direction of causality between financial development and economic growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 321-334, October.
    8. Fan, Haichao & Peng, Yuchao & Wang, Huanhuan & Xu, Zhiwei, 2021. "Greening through finance?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    9. Graham, John R. & Li, Si & Qiu, Jiaping, 2008. "Corporate misreporting and bank loan contracting," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 44-61, July.
    10. Li, Feng & Srinivasan, Suraj, 2011. "Corporate governance when founders are directors," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(2), pages 454-469.
    11. Ongena, Steven & Smith, David C., 2001. "The duration of bank relationships," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 449-475, September.
    12. Chen, Donghua & Jiang, Dequan & Yu, Xin, 2015. "Corporate philanthropy and bank loans in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(PA), pages 402-424.
    13. Hyun-Jung Nam & Mehmet Huseyin Bilgin & Doojin Ryu, 2024. "Firm value, ownership structure, and strategic approaches to ESG activities," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 14(1), pages 187-226, March.
    14. Nengqi Pan & Millicent Chang & Xiaofei Pan, 2024. "Career concerns and earnings management in government‐owned banks," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 64(1), pages 475-506, March.
    15. Allen, Franklin & Qian, Jun & Qian, Meijun, 2005. "Law, finance, and economic growth in China," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 57-116, July.
    16. Cohn, Jonathan B. & Liu, Zack & Wardlaw, Malcolm I., 2022. "Count (and count-like) data in finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 529-551.
    17. Ivan T Ivanov & Mathias S Kruttli & Sumudu W Watugala, 2024. "Banking on Carbon: Corporate Lending and Cap-and-Trade Policy," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 37(5), pages 1640-1684.
    18. Heinkel, Robert & Kraus, Alan & Zechner, Josef, 2001. "The Effect of Green Investment on Corporate Behavior," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 36(4), pages 431-449, December.
    19. Bang, Jeongseok & Ryu, Doojin & Webb, Robert I., 2023. "ESG controversy as a potential asset-pricing factor," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PA).
    20. Xing, Tiancai & Li, Xue & Feng, Nianqiao, 2024. "Is bank competition conducive to corporate ESG performance?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PB).
    21. Huang, Jiayi & Matthews, Kent & Zhou, Peng, 2020. "What causes Chinese listed firms to switch bank loan provider? Evidence from a survival analysis," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    22. Berger, Allen N & Udell, Gregory F, 1995. "Relationship Lending and Lines of Credit in Small Firm Finance," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 68(3), pages 351-381, July.
    23. Hakkon Kim & Kwangwoo Park & Doojin Ryu, 2017. "Corporate Environmental Responsibility: A Legal Origins Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 381-402, February.
    24. Arnoud W. A. Boot & Anjan V. Thakor, 2000. "Can Relationship Banking Survive Competition?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(2), pages 679-713, April.
    25. Kobayashi, Teruyoshi & Takaguchi, Taro, 2018. "Identifying relationship lending in the interbank market: A network approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 20-36.
    26. Ongena, S. & Smith, D.C., 2000. "Bank relationships : A review," Other publications TiSEM 993b88a5-9a0f-42de-9cec-6, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    27. Bang, Jeongseok & Ryu, Doojin, 2024. "ESG factors and the cross-section of expected stock returns: A LASSO-based approach," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    28. Mitchell A. Petersen & Raghuram G. Rajan, 1995. "The Effect of Credit Market Competition on Lending Relationships," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 407-443.
    29. Lynn Linghuan Wang, 2023. "Transmission Effects of ESG Disclosure Regulations Through Bank Lending Networks," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 61(3), pages 935-978, June.
    30. Böhm, Adrian & Eufinger, Christian & Kadach, Igor & Sakasai, Yuki, 2025. "Green banking illusion? The influence of "Eco-Conscious" bank shareholders on credit allocation," Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 153959, Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL).
    31. Beck, Thorsten & Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2008. "Financing patterns around the world: Are small firms different?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(3), pages 467-487, September.
    32. Edward I. Altman, 1968. "Financial Ratios, Discriminant Analysis And The Prediction Of Corporate Bankruptcy," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 23(4), pages 589-609, September.
    33. Chun Chang & Guanmin Liao & Xiaoyun Yu & Zheng Ni, 2014. "Information from Relationship Lending: Evidence from Loan Defaults in China," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(6), pages 1225-1257, September.
    34. Elsas, Ralf, 2005. "Empirical determinants of relationship lending," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 32-57, January.
    35. Wang, Yizhong & Wang, Ting & Chen, Lifang, 2021. "Maturity mismatches of Chinese listed firms," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    36. Runfeng Yang & Massimiliano Caporin & Juan-Angel Jiménez-Martin, 2024. "Measuring Climate Transition Risk Spillovers," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 28(2), pages 447-481.
    37. Kim, Yongwon & Park, Young Kyu & Ryu, Doojin, 2025. "Climate policy uncertainty and corporate environmental risk-taking," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    38. Edward I. Altman, 1968. "The Prediction Of Corporate Bankruptcy: A Discriminant Analysis," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 23(1), pages 193-194, March.
    39. Douglas W. Diamond, 1984. "Financial Intermediation and Delegated Monitoring," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 51(3), pages 393-414.
    40. Dong Ding & Bin Liu & Millicent Chang, 2023. "Carbon Emissions and TCFD Aligned Climate-Related Information Disclosures," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 967-1001, February.
    41. Jeongseok Bang & Hankil Kang & Doojin Ryu, 2025. "ESG, firm image, and explanatory power for stock returns," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(16), pages 2315-2321, September.
    42. Sergio Correia & Paulo Guimarães & Tom Zylkin, 2020. "Fast Poisson estimation with high-dimensional fixed effects," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 20(1), pages 95-115, March.
    43. Hussain, Inayat & Durand, Robert B. & Harris, Mark N., 2021. "Relationship lending: A source of support or a means of exploitation?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    44. Yildirim, Alev, 2020. "The effect of relationship banking on firm efficiency and default risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    45. Boone, Audra L. & White, Joshua T., 2015. "The effect of institutional ownership on firm transparency and information production," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(3), pages 508-533.
    46. Degryse, Hans & Goncharenko, Roman & Theunisz, Carola & Vadasz, Tamas, 2023. "When green meets green," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    47. Degryse, Hans & Ongena, Steven, 2007. "The impact of competition on bank orientation," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 399-424, July.
    48. Shakri, Irfan Haider & Chung, Chune Young & Ryu, Doojin, 2025. "Do board networks fuel ESG controversies?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    49. Dell'Ariccia, Giovanni & Marquez, Robert, 2004. "Information and bank credit allocation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 185-214, April.
    50. Fan, Joseph P. H. & Titman, Sheridan & Twite, Garry, 2012. "An International Comparison of Capital Structure and Debt Maturity Choices," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 47(1), pages 23-56, February.
    51. Ban, Nannan & Che, Xinxin & Walker, Thomas & Zhao, Yunfei, 2025. "Does green bond issuance affect firm value? Evidence from China," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    52. Boot, Arnoud W. A., 2000. "Relationship Banking: What Do We Know?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 7-25, January.
    53. Bang, Jeongseok & Ryu, Doojin & Yu, Jinyoung, 2023. "ESG controversies and investor trading behavior in the Korean market," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    54. Yuk Ying Chang & Sudipto Dasgupta, 2023. "Escaping Air Pollution: Immigrants, Students, and Spillover Effects on Property Prices Abroad," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(5), pages 1699-1741.
    55. Franklin Allen & Elena Carletti & Robert Marquez, 2011. "Credit Market Competition and Capital Regulation," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(4), pages 983-1018.
    56. Joel F Houston & Hongyu Shan, 2022. "Corporate ESG Profiles and Banking Relationships," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 35(7), pages 3373-3417.
    57. Xiaoqiang Cheng & Hans Degryse, 2010. "The Impact of Bank and Non-Bank Financial Institutions on Local Economic Growth in China," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 37(2), pages 179-199, June.
    58. Peter Feldhütter & Lasse Heje Pedersen, 2025. "Is Capital Structure Irrelevant with ESG Investors?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 38(8), pages 2362-2385.
    59. Gao, Haoyu & Ru, Hong & Yang, Xiaoguang, 2022. "The Informational Role of Ownership Networks in Bank Lending," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 57(8), pages 2993-3017, December.
    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. Ghosh, Chinmoy & He, Fan, 2023. "The impact of laws and institutions on financial contracts: Evidence from relationship lending across the world," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    2. Beatriz, Mikael & Coffinet, Jérôme & Nicolas, Théo, 2022. "Relationship lending and SMEs’ funding costs over the cycle: Why diversification of borrowing matters," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    3. Modina, Michele & Pietrovito, Filomena & Gallucci, Carmen & Formisano, Vincenzo, 2023. "Predicting SMEs’ default risk: Evidence from bank-firm relationship data," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 254-268.
    4. Doris Neuberger & Solvig Räthke, 2009. "Microenterprises and multiple bank relationships: The case of professionals," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 207-229, February.
    5. Udell, Gregory F., 2008. "What's in a relationship The case of commercial lending," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 93-103.
    6. Chong, Terence Tai-Leung & Lu, Liping & Ongena, Steven, 2013. "Does banking competition alleviate or worsen credit constraints faced by small- and medium-sized enterprises? Evidence from China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 3412-3424.
    7. Doris Neuberger & Maurice Pedergnana & Solvig Räthke-Döppner, 2008. "Concentration of Banking Relationships in Switzerland: The Result of Firm Structure or Banking Market Structure?," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 33(2), pages 101-126, April.
    8. Alessandro Gambini & Alberto Zazzaro, 2013. "Long-lasting bank relationships and growth of firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 977-1007, May.
    9. Agostino, Mariarosaria & Errico, Lucia & Rondinella, Sandro & Trivieri, Francesco, 2023. "Enduring lending relationships and european firms default," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(4), pages 459-477.
    10. Florian Leon, 2015. "What do we know about the role of bank competition in Africa?," CERDI Working papers halshs-01164864, HAL.
    11. Franco Fiordelisi & Stefano Monferrà & Gabriele Sampagnaro, 2014. "Relationship Lending and Credit Quality," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 46(3), pages 295-315, December.
    12. Gajewski, Krzysztof & Pawłowska, Małgorzata & Rogowski, Wojciech, 2012. "Relacje firm z bankami w Polsce w świetle danych ze sprawozdawczości bankowej [Bank-firm relationships in Poland in the light of data from bank reporting]," MPRA Paper 42544, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 29 Oct 2012.
    13. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Shamshur, Anastasiya & Weill, Laurent, 2017. "Does bank competition reduce cost of credit? Cross-country evidence from Europe," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 104-120.
    14. Irma Malafronte & Stefano Monferrà & Claudio Porzio & Gabriele Sampagnaro, 2014. "Competition, specialization and bank--firm interaction: what happens in credit crunch periods?," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(8), pages 557-571, April.
    15. Ferri, Giovanni & Murro, Pierluigi, 2015. "Do firm–bank ‘odd couples’ exacerbate credit rationing?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 231-251.
    16. Celia Álvarez‐Botas & Víctor M. González, 2021. "Institutions, banking structure and the cost of debt: new international evidence," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(1), pages 265-303, March.
    17. Xu, Bing & Wang, Honglin & Rixtel, Adrian van, 2016. "Do banks extract informational rents through collateral?," BOFIT Discussion Papers 5/2016, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    18. Bing Xu & Honglin Wang & Adrian Van Rixtel, 2015. "Do banks extract informational rents through collateral?," BIS Working Papers 522, Bank for International Settlements.
    19. Lončarski, Igor & Marinč, Matej, 2020. "The political economy of relationship banking," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    20. Nemoto, Tadanobu & Ogura, Yoshiaki & Watanabe, Wako, 2016. "Inside bank premiums as liquidity insurance," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 61-76.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

    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:glofin:v:68:y:2025:i:c:s1044028325001279. 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/620162 .

    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.