IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jimfin/v153y2025ics0261560625000282.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Management climate risk concern and corporate bond credit spread

Author

Listed:
  • Lu, Xinjie
  • Zeng, Qing
  • Huang, Yisu
  • Wu, Hanlin

Abstract

This study constructs management climate risk concern from the perspectives of physical and transitional risk, aiming to add novel proxies for measuring corporate climate risk. Investigating the impact of management climate risk concern on corporate bond credit spread, we find that both management physical and transitional climate risk concern has significantly negative effects the bond credit spread, meaning the stronger the management concern about climate risk, the lower the credit spread of the corporate bonds. In addition, further discussions show management climate risk concern have more negative effects on bond spread particularly for bonds with lower credit ratings, worse environment governance and more attention by analysts. This study provides a new insight to assess climate risk from the perspective of management and enriches the practice of climate risk on corporate bonds.

Suggested Citation

  • Lu, Xinjie & Zeng, Qing & Huang, Yisu & Wu, Hanlin, 2025. "Management climate risk concern and corporate bond credit spread," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:153:y:2025:i:c:s0261560625000282
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2025.103293
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261560625000282
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jimonfin.2025.103293?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Chih-Wei & Wu, Yu-Ching & Hsieh, Hsin-Yi & Huang, Po-Hsiang & Lin, Meng-Chieh, 2022. "Does green bond issuance have an impact on climate risk concerns?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    2. Patrycja Klusak & Matthew Agarwala & Matt Burke & Moritz Kraemer & Kamiar Mohaddes, 2023. "Rising Temperatures, Falling Ratings: The Effect of Climate Change on Sovereign Creditworthiness," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(12), pages 7468-7491, December.
    3. Ströbel, Johannes & Wurgler, Jeffrey, 2021. "What do you think about climate finance?," CEPR Discussion Papers 16622, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Rondinelli, Dennis A. & Berry, Michael A., 2000. "Environmental citizenship in multinational corporations: social responsibility and sustainable development," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 70-84, February.
    5. Cang, Han & Li, Chao, 2024. "Corporate climate risk and bond credit spreads," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PA).
    6. Chatterjee, Bikram & Jia, Jing & Nguyen, Mai & Taylor, Grantley & Duong, Lien, 2023. "CEO remuneration, financial distress and firm life cycle," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    7. Robert F Engle & Stefano Giglio & Bryan Kelly & Heebum Lee & Johannes Stroebel, 2020. "Hedging Climate Change News," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1184-1216.
    8. Jan Lepoutre & Nikolay Dentchev & Aimé Heene, 2007. "Dealing With Uncertainties When Governing CSR Policies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 73(4), pages 391-408, July.
    9. Giovanni Catello Landi & Francesca Iandolo & Antonio Renzi & Andrea Rey, 2022. "Embedding sustainability in risk management: The impact of environmental, social, and governance ratings on corporate financial risk," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 1096-1107, July.
    10. Stefano Giglio & Matteo Maggiori & Krishna Rao & Johannes Stroebel & Andreas Weber & Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, 2021. "Climate Change and Long-Run Discount Rates: Evidence from Real Estate [Abrupt climate change]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(8), pages 3527-3571.
    11. Tim Loughran & Bill Mcdonald, 2016. "Textual Analysis in Accounting and Finance: A Survey," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 1187-1230, September.
    12. Edith Ginglinger & Quentin Moreau, 2023. "Climate Risk and Capital Structure," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(12), pages 7492-7516, December.
    13. Magali Delmas & Michael W. Toffel, 2004. "Stakeholders and environmental management practices: an institutional framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(4), pages 209-222, July.
    14. Nguyen, Trang & Alpert, Karen & Faff, Robert, 2021. "Relative bond-stock liquidity and capital structure choices," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    15. Lamperti, Francesco & Bosetti, Valentina & Roventini, Andrea & Tavoni, Massimo & Treibich, Tania, 2021. "Three green financial policies to address climate risks," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    16. Philipp Krueger & Zacharias Sautner & Laura T Starks, 2020. "The Importance of Climate Risks for Institutional Investors," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1067-1111.
    17. Carol Marquardt & Christine Wiedman, 2005. "Earnings Management through Transaction Structuring: Contingent Convertible Debt and Diluted Earnings per Share," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(2), pages 205-243, May.
    18. Balvers, Ronald & Du, Ding & Zhao, Xiaobing, 2017. "Temperature shocks and the cost of equity capital: Implications for climate change perceptions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 18-34.
    19. Rosa Dangelico & Devashish Pujari, 2010. "Mainstreaming Green Product Innovation: Why and How Companies Integrate Environmental Sustainability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 95(3), pages 471-486, September.
    20. Dumrose, Maurice & Höck, André, 2023. "Corporate Carbon-Risk and Credit-Risk: The Impact of Carbon-Risk Exposure and Management on Credit Spreads in Different Regulatory Environments," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    21. Pástor, Ľuboš & Stambaugh, Robert F. & Taylor, Lucian A., 2022. "Dissecting green returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 403-424.
    22. Rjiba, Hatem & Saadi, Samir & Boubaker, Sabri & Ding, Xiaoya (Sara), 2021. "Annual report readability and the cost of equity capital," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    23. Darwin Choi & Zhenyu Gao & Wenxi Jiang, 2020. "Attention to Global Warming," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(3), pages 1112-1145.
    24. Qing Li & Hongyu Shan & Yuehua Tang & Vincent Yao, 2024. "Corporate Climate Risk: Measurements and Responses," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 37(6), pages 1778-1830.
    25. Xu Gong & Mengjie Li & Keqin Guan & Chuanwang Sun, 2023. "Climate change attention and carbon futures return prediction," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(9), pages 1261-1288, September.
    26. Kristel Buysse & Alain Verbeke, 2003. "Proactive environmental strategies: a stakeholder management perspective," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 453-470, May.
    27. Dang, Chongyu & Foerster, Stephen & Li, Zhichuan (Frank) & Tang, Zhenyang, 2021. "Analyst talent, information, and insider trading," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    28. Robert G. Eccles & Ioannis Ioannou & George Serafeim, 2014. "The Impact of Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Processes and Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(11), pages 2835-2857, November.
    29. Lorenzo Dal Maso & Laura Gianfagna & Federico Maglione & Nicola Lattanzi, 2024. "Going green: Environmental risk management, market value and performance," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 122-132, January.
    30. Yang, Rui & Tang, Wansheng & Zhang, Jianxiong, 2021. "Technology improvement strategy for green products under competition: The role of government subsidy," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 289(2), pages 553-568.
    31. Aswani, Jitendra & Raghunandan, Aneesh & Rajgopal, Shiva, 2024. "Are carbon emissions associated with StockReturns? - Reply," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121632, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    32. Kim, Y. Han (Andy), 2013. "Self attribution bias of the CEO: Evidence from CEO interviews on CNBC," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(7), pages 2472-2489.
    33. Aswani, Jitendra & Raghunandan, Aneesh & Rajgopal, Shivaram, 2024. "Are carbon emissions associated with stock returns?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118364, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    34. Jitendra Aswani & Aneesh Raghunandan & Shiva Rajgopal, 2024. "Are Carbon Emissions Associated with Stock Returns?—Reply," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 28(1), pages 111-115.
    35. Connolly, Robert & Stivers, Chris & Sun, Licheng, 2005. "Stock Market Uncertainty and the Stock-Bond Return Relation," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 40(1), pages 161-194, March.
    36. Shawn, Thomas, 2002. "Firm diversification and asymmetric information: evidence from analysts’ forecasts and earnings announcements," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 373-396, June.
    37. Mauro Aliano & Giuseppe Galloppo & Viktoriia Paimanova, 2023. "People and investor attention to climate change," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(18), pages 2107-2127, December.
    38. Henry He Huang & Joseph Kerstein & Chong Wang, 2018. "The impact of climate risk on firm performance and financing choices: An international comparison," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 49(5), pages 633-656, July.
    39. D’Orazio, Paola & Popoyan, Lilit, 2019. "Fostering green investments and tackling climate-related financial risks: Which role for macroprudential policies?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 25-37.
    40. Jitendra Aswani & Aneesh Raghunandan & Shiva Rajgopal, 2024. "Are Carbon Emissions Associated with Stock Returns?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 28(1), pages 75-106.
    41. Elisabeth Albertini, 2013. "Does Environmental Management Improve Financial Performance? A Meta-Analytical Review," Post-Print halshs-01887802, HAL.
    42. Xie, Xuemei & Huo, Jiage & Zou, Hailiang, 2019. "Green process innovation, green product innovation, and corporate financial performance: A content analysis method," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 697-706.
    43. Christian Klein & Christoph Stellner, 2014. "The systematic risk of corporate bonds: default risk, term risk, and index choice," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 28(1), pages 29-61, February.
    44. Ford, Jansson M. & Gehricke, Sebastian A. & Zhang, Jin E., 2022. "Option traders are concerned about climate risks: ESG ratings and short-term sentiment," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    45. Stuart L. Hart & Gautam Ahuja, 1996. "Does It Pay To Be Green? An Empirical Examination Of The Relationship Between Emission Reduction And Firm Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 30-37, March.
    46. Dong Lou, 2014. "Attracting Investor Attention through Advertising," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(6), pages 1797-1829.
    47. Elsa Allman, 2022. "Pricing climate change risk in corporate bonds," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 23(7), pages 596-618, December.
    48. Salina P. Siddique & Nick Sciulli, 2018. "Sustainable development of small companies: Investors' perspectives," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1258-1271, December.
    49. Faccini, Renato & Matin, Rastin & Skiadopoulos, George, 2023. "Dissecting climate risks: Are they reflected in stock prices?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    50. Huynh, Thanh D. & Xia, Ying, 2021. "Climate Change News Risk and Corporate Bond Returns," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 56(6), pages 1985-2009, September.
    51. Hong, Harrison & Li, Frank Weikai & Xu, Jiangmin, 2019. "Climate risks and market efficiency," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 208(1), pages 265-281.
    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. Benkraiem, Ramzi & Dimic, Nebojsa & Piljak, Vanja & Swinkels, Laurens & Vulanovic, Milos, 2025. "Media-based climate risks and international corporate bond market," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    2. Lai, Fujun & Cheng, Xianli & Li, An & Xiong, Deping & Li, Yunzhong, 2025. "Does flood risk affect the implied cost of equity capital?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    3. Nguyen, Justin Hung & Truong, Cameron & Zhang, Bohui, 2025. "The price of carbon risk: Evidence from the Kyoto Protocol ratification," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    4. Pham, Linh & Kamal, Javed Bin, 2024. "Blessings or curse: How do media climate change concerns affect commodity tail risk spillovers?," Journal of Commodity Markets, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    5. Chen, Yiyang & Mamon, Rogemar & Spagnolo, Fabio & Spagnolo, Nicola, 2025. "Stock market returns and climate risk in the U.S," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    6. Allahdadi, Mohammad R. & Fretheim, Torun & Vindedal, Kjetil, 2024. "Value of climate change news: A textual analysis," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    7. Faccini, Renato & Matin, Rastin & Skiadopoulos, George, 2023. "Dissecting climate risks: Are they reflected in stock prices?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    8. Hossain, Ashrafee & Masum, Abdullah-Al & Benkraiem, Ramzi, 2024. "Long-term institutional investors and climate change news Beta," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    9. Wong, Jin Boon & Zhang, Qin, 2025. "The impact of political risks on carbon emissions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    10. Gong, Xue & Lai, Ping & He, Mengxi & Wen, Danyan, 2024. "Climate risk and energy futures high frequency volatility prediction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 307(C).
    11. Lalwani, Vaibhav, 2024. "Climate risks, corporate bonds, and economic uncertainty," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    12. Zhou, Qi & Ni, Jiajun & Yang, Cunyi, 2025. "Climate transition risk and industry returns: The impact of green innovation and carbon market uncertainty," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    13. Dutta, Sunil & Hwang, Jinsung & Patatoukas, Panos N., 2025. "Fundamentals of carbon emissions scaling: Implications for sector peer comparisons and carbon efficient indexing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    14. Nguyen, Minh Nhat & Liu, Ruipeng & Li, Youwei, 2025. "Performance of energy ETFs and climate risks," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    15. Tristan Jourde & Arthur Stalla-Bourdillon, 2024. "Environmental preferences and sector valuations," Post-Print halshs-04948464, HAL.
    16. He, Feng & Duan, Lin & Cao, Yi & Wen, Shuyang, 2024. "Green credit policy and corporate climate risk exposure," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    17. Jiang, Chuyu & Li, Yating & Zhang, Xuan & Zhao, Yang, 2025. "Climate risk and corporate debt decision," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    18. Zhang, Yaojie & Song, Bingheng & He, Mengxi & Wang, Yudong, 2024. "Abnormal temperature and the cross-section of stock returns in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    19. Venturini, Alessio, 2022. "Climate change, risk factors and stock returns: A review of the literature," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    20. Chiappari, Mattia & Scotti, Francesco & Flori, Andrea, 2025. "Hedging financial risks with a climate index based on EU ETS firms," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).

    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:jimfin:v:153:y:2025:i:c:s0261560625000282. 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/30443 .

    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.