IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbfina/v185y2026ics0378426626000294.html

Air pollution and bank loan pricing

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Donghui
  • Sun, Jian
  • Xu, Rui
  • Yuan, Chun
  • Zhu, Liyi

Abstract

Based on a proprietary loan dataset from a nationwide state-owned Chinese commercial bank, this study finds that firms with high air pollutant emissions intensity are charged higher bank loan prices due to increased labor risk and environmental transition costs, which elevate bank lender’s overall risk exposure. The positive impact of such emissions on bank loan pricing is more pronounced in firms with no political connections, those located in regions with weak environmental governance, and classified as non-headquarter clients. Further analyses suggest that air pollution premiums are mainly charged for smoke emissions and credit loans. Moreover, air pollutant emissions significantly reduce the credit availability of borrowing firms and increase the tendency for bank lender to add non-price terms.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Donghui & Sun, Jian & Xu, Rui & Yuan, Chun & Zhu, Liyi, 2026. "Air pollution and bank loan pricing," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:185:y:2026:i:c:s0378426626000294
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2026.107655
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378426626000294
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2026.107655?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. Lin, Chih-Yung & Tsai, Wei-Che & Hasan, Iftekhar & Tuan, Le Quoc, 2018. "Private benefits of control and bank loan contracts," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 324-343.
    2. Anderson, Ronald C. & Mansi, Sattar A. & Reeb, David M., 2004. "Board characteristics, accounting report integrity, and the cost of debt," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 315-342, September.
    3. Xue, Shuyu & Zhang, Bohui & Zhao, Xiaofeng, 2021. "Brain drain: The impact of air pollution on firm performance," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Fan, Haichao & Peng, Yuchao & Wang, Huanhuan & Xu, Zhiwei, 2021. "Greening through finance?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    5. 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.
    6. Roberts, Michael R., 2015. "The role of dynamic renegotiation and asymmetric information in financial contracting," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 61-81.
    7. Geng, Chunxiao & Li, Donghui & Sun, Jian & Yuan, Chun, 2023. "Functional distance and bank loan pricing: Evidence from the opening of high-speed railway in China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    8. Lin William Cong & Haoyu Gao & Jacopo Ponticelli & Xiaoguang Yang, 2019. "Credit Allocation Under Economic Stimulus: Evidence from China," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(9), pages 3412-3460.
    9. Fard, Amirhossein & Javadi, Siamak & Kim, Incheol, 2020. "Environmental regulation and the cost of bank loans: International evidence," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    10. Valta, Philip, 2012. "Competition and the cost of debt," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(3), pages 661-682.
    11. Bihong Huang & Maria Teresa Punzi & Yu Wu, 2021. "Do Banks Price Environmental Transition Risks? Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in a Chinese Province," IMF Working Papers 2021/228, International Monetary Fund.
    12. Kenneth Y. Chay & Michael Greenstone, 2003. "The Impact of Air Pollution on Infant Mortality: Evidence from Geographic Variation in Pollution Shocks Induced by a Recession," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(3), pages 1121-1167.
    13. Xingqiang Du & Wei Jian & Quan Zeng & Yingying Chang, 2018. "Do Auditors Applaud Corporate Environmental Performance? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(4), pages 1049-1080, September.
    14. Jun (Qj) Qian & Philip E. Strahan & Zhishu Yang, 2015. "The Impact of Incentives and Communication Costs on Information Production and Use: Evidence from Bank Lending," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(4), pages 1457-1493, August.
    15. Po‐Hsuan Hsu & Kai Li & Chi‐Yang Tsou, 2023. "The Pollution Premium," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 78(3), pages 1343-1392, June.
    16. Karl V. Lins & Henri Servaes & Ane Tamayo, 2017. "Social Capital, Trust, and Firm Performance: The Value of Corporate Social Responsibility during the Financial Crisis," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 72(4), pages 1785-1824, August.
    17. Huang, Henry He & Lobo, Gerald J. & Wang, Chong & Zhou, Jian, 2018. "Do Banks Price Independent Directors’ Attention?," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(4), pages 1755-1780, August.
    18. Cassar, Gavin & Ittner, Christopher D. & Cavalluzzo, Ken S., 2015. "Alternative information sources and information asymmetry reduction: Evidence from small business debt," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 242-263.
    19. Jere R. Francis & Wei Wang, 2021. "Common Auditors and Private Bank Loans," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(1), pages 793-832, March.
    20. Panle Jia Barwick & Shanjun Li & Liguo Lin & Eric Yongchen Zou, 2024. "From Fog to Smog: The Value of Pollution Information," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(5), pages 1338-1381, May.
    21. Liu, Zheng & Shen, Hongtao & Welker, Michael & Zhang, Ning & Zhao, Yang, 2021. "Gone with the wind: An externality of earnings pressure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1).
    22. Zhiming Ma & Kirill E. Novoselov & Derrald Stice & Yue Zhang, 2024. "Firm innovation and covenant tightness," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 151-193, March.
    23. 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.
    24. Bolton, Patrick & Kacperczyk, Marcin, 2021. "Do investors care about carbon risk?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 517-549.
    25. Liu, Ziming & Yu, Lu, 2020. "Stay or Leave? The Role of Air Pollution in Urban Migration Choices," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    26. Kubick, Thomas R. & Lockhart, G. Brandon & Mauer, David C., 2023. "Judge ideology and debt contracting," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    27. Yi Huang & Marco Pagano & Ugo Panizza, 2020. "Local Crowding‐Out in China," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(6), pages 2855-2898, December.
    28. Hasan, Iftekhar & Hoi, Chun Keung & Wu, Qiang & Zhang, Hao, 2017. "Social Capital and Debt Contracting: Evidence from Bank Loans and Public Bonds," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(3), pages 1017-1047, June.
    29. Sudheer Chava, 2014. "Environmental Externalities and Cost of Capital," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(9), pages 2223-2247, September.
    30. Campello, Murillo & Gao, Janet, 2017. "Customer concentration and loan contract terms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 108-136.
    31. Huang, Bihong & Punzi, Maria Teresa & Wu, Yu, 2021. "Do banks price environmental transition risks? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    32. Janet Currie & Lucas Davis & Michael Greenstone & Reed Walker, 2015. "Environmental Health Risks and Housing Values: Evidence from 1,600 Toxic Plant Openings and Closings," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(2), pages 678-709, February.
    33. Beatty, Timothy K.M. & Shimshack, Jay P., 2014. "Air pollution and children's respiratory health: A cohort analysis," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 39-57.
    34. Guojun He & Shaoda Wang & Bing Zhang, 2020. "Watering Down Environmental Regulation in China," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(4), pages 2135-2185.
    35. Rui Albuquerque & Yrjö Koskinen & Chendi Zhang, 2019. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Risk: Theory and Empirical Evidence," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(10), pages 4451-4469, October.
    36. Joel F. Houston & Liangliang Jiang & Chen Lin & Yue Ma, 2014. "Political Connections and the Cost of Bank Loans," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 52(1), pages 193-243, March.
    37. Mohan Fonseka & Theja Rajapakse & Gao‐Liang Tian, 2019. "The Effects of Environmental Information Disclosure and Energy Types on the Cost of Equity: Evidence from the Energy Industry in China," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 55(2), pages 362-410, June.
    38. Heyes, Anthony & Zhu, Mingying, 2019. "Air pollution as a cause of sleeplessness: Social media evidence from a panel of Chinese cities," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    39. Siamak Javadi & Abdullah‐Al Masum & Mohsen Aram & Ramesh P. Rao, 2023. "Climate change and corporate cash holdings: Global evidence," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 52(2), pages 253-295, June.
    40. Painter, Marcus, 2020. "An inconvenient cost: The effects of climate change on municipal bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(2), pages 468-482.
    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. Li, Donghui & Qi, Xuanchang & Sun, Jian & Yuan, Chun & Zhu, Liyi, 2024. "Sunshine and bank lending," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    2. Nguyen, Harvey & Pham, Mia Hang & Vu, Van Hoang, 2025. "Executives’ early-life experience and corporate debt contracting: Evidence from CEO military experience," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Hossain, Ashrafee & Masum, Abdullah-Al & Rjiba, Hatem, 2025. "Fear of fairness in courts: The impact of liberal judge ideology on corporate carbon emissions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    4. Dongmin Kong & Jia Liu & Yanan Wang & Ling Zhu, 2024. "Employee Stock Ownership Plans and Corporate Environmental Engagement," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(1), pages 177-199, January.
    5. Al-Ayyoub, Naser & Phan, Hieu V., 2026. "Riskier climate, closer ties? How climate risk drives firms towards bank debt financing," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    6. Wang, Lu & Su, Zhong-qin & Fung, Hung-Gay & Jin, Hong-min & Xiao, Zuoping, 2021. "Do CEOs with academic experience add value to firms? Evidence on bank loans from Chinese firms," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    7. Basha, Shabeen Afsar & Benkraiem, Ramzi & Ben-Nasr, Hamdi & Masum, Abdullah-Al, 2025. "Does political risk exacerbate climate risk? Firm-level evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA).
    8. Chieh-Jung Chan & Ping-Fang Yen & Hsin-Wen Wang & Yuan Chang, 2026. "ESG Performance and Bank Loan Interest Rates," Journal of Applied Finance & Banking, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 16(1), pages 1-4.
    9. Gang Wang & Yi Shen, 2023. "Did quantitative easing reduce the borrowing costs of firms? The risk‐taking channel," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(1), pages 507-536, March.
    10. Zhou, Peng & Mo, Lingyu & Tan, Changchun & Wu, Huaqing, 2025. "Carbon regulatory risk exposure in the bond market: A quasi-natural experiment in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    11. Jinyu Chen & Xinyu Guo & Yuan Geng & Ran Liu, 2025. "Climate risk and trade credit financing: Evidence from China," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(3), pages 2514-2535, July.
    12. Liu, Chih-Liang & Tsui, Chih-Kai, 2026. "ESG and bank loan cost," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    13. Chia-Ying Chan & Iftekhar Hasan & Chih-Yung Lin, 2021. "Agency cost of CEO perquisites in bank loan contracts," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1221-1258, May.
    14. Chen, Jianqiang & Hsieh, Pei-Fang & Hsu, Po-Hsuan & Levine, Ross, 2025. "Environmental liabilities, borrowing costs, and pollution prevention activities: The nationwide impact of the Apex Oil ruling," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    15. Duong, Huu Nhan & Khalifa, Mariem & Sheikhbahaei, Ali & Sualihu, Mohammed Aminu, 2024. "Corporate noncompliance: Do corporate violations affect bank loan contracting?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    16. Chen, Shenglan & Chou, Robin K. & Liu, Xiaoling & Wu, Yuhui, 2020. "Deregulation of short-selling constraints and cost of bank loans: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    17. Ashrafee Hossain & Abdullah‐al Masum & Samir Saadi & Ramzi Benkraiem & Nirmol Das, 2023. "Firm-Level Climate Change Risk and CEO Equity Incentives," Post-Print hal-04434397, HAL.
    18. Zhang, Wenzhe & Kong, Dongmin, 2025. "Climate risks and corporate leverage," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    19. Ben-Nasr, Hamdi & Masry, Shadin & Masum, Abdullah-Al & Ouni, Zeineb, 2025. "Carbon risk and trade credit," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    20. Mbanyele, William & Muchenje, Linda Tinofirei, 2022. "Climate change exposure, risk management and corporate social responsibility: Cross-country evidence," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

    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:jbfina:v:185:y:2026:i:c:s0378426626000294. 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/jbf .

    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.