IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reveco/v103y2025ics1059056025006835.html

Does green credit regulation induce managerial opportunistic behavior in heavily polluting enterprises? A quasi-natural experiment from China

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Zexin
  • Xue, Rui
  • Yong, Fan
  • Zhou, Qing

Abstract

This study investigates the Green Credit Policy's (GCP) impact on managerial opportunistic behaviors in China's high-pollution enterprises. Using data from Chinese listed firms, we find a significant increase in earnings management following the GCP's implementation in 2012. This impact is more pronounced in firms with weak internal controls, low cash flows, and severe financing constraints, as well as those audited by the Big Four firms. Further analysis reveals that profitability pressure and reputation concerns transmit the impact of GCP onto corporate earnings management. The findings uncover an unintended “dark side” of green credit regulation and provide policy insights for fostering genuine corporate sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Zexin & Xue, Rui & Yong, Fan & Zhou, Qing, 2025. "Does green credit regulation induce managerial opportunistic behavior in heavily polluting enterprises? A quasi-natural experiment from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:103:y:2025:i:c:s1059056025006835
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2025.104520
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059056025006835
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iref.2025.104520?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. Agarwal, Sumit & Chomsisengphet, Souphala & Liu, Chunlin & Ghon Rhee, S., 2007. "Earnings management behaviors under different economic environments: Evidence from Japanese banks," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 429-443.
    2. Wei Cao & Martina Linnenluecke & Jinfang Tian & Rui Xue & Huan Yang, 2023. "How does investor attention affect energy firms' managerial opportunistic behavior? New evidence from China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 5025-5043, November.
    3. Petitjean, Mikael, 2019. "Eco-friendly policies and financial performance: Was the financial crisis a game changer for large US companies?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 502-511.
    4. Zhang, Shengling & Wu, Zihao & He, Yinan & Hao, Yu, 2022. "How does the green credit policy affect the technological innovation of enterprises? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    5. Wang, En-Ze & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2022. "The impact of clean energy consumption on economic growth in China: Is environmental regulation a curse or a blessing?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 39-58.
    6. Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R. & Rajgopal, Shiva, 2005. "The economic implications of corporate financial reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1-3), pages 3-73, December.
    7. Ge, Wenxia & Ouyang, Caiyue & Shi, Zhenyang & Chen, Zhanliao, 2022. "Can a not-for-profit minority institutional shareholder make a big difference in corporate governance? A quasi-natural experiment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    8. Chahine, Salim & Mansi, Sattar & Mazboudi, Mohamad, 2015. "Media news and earnings management prior to equity offerings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 177-195.
    9. Alharbi, Samar S. & Atawnah, Nader & Ali, Muhammad Jahangir & Eshraghi, Arman, 2023. "Gambling culture and earnings management: A novel perspective," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 520-539.
    10. Karim, Sitara & Lucey, Brian M., 2024. "BigTech, FinTech, and banks: A tangle or unity?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    11. Xia Chen & Qiang Cheng & Ying Hao & Qiang Liu, 2020. "GDP growth incentives and earnings management: evidence from China," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1002-1039, September.
    12. Liao, Zhaoguang & Xiao, Luan, 2025. "Government environmental regulation, media attention, and corporate green innovation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    13. Yao, Shouyu & Pan, Yuying & Sensoy, Ahmet & Uddin, Gazi Salah & Cheng, Feiyang, 2021. "Green credit policy and firm performance: What we learn from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    14. Wen, Huwei & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Zhou, Fengxiu, 2021. "Green credit policy, credit allocation efficiency and upgrade of energy-intensive enterprises," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    15. Jones, Jj, 1991. "Earnings Management During Import Relief Investigations," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 193-228.
    16. Chi, Ching Wen & Hung, Ken & Cheng, Hui Wen & Tien Lieu, Pang, 2015. "Family firms and earnings management in Taiwan: Influence of corporate governance," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 88-98.
    17. Wang, Fangjun & Xu, Luying & Zhang, Junrui & Shu, Wei, 2018. "Political connections, internal control and firm value: Evidence from China's anti-corruption campaign," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 53-67.
    18. Liu, Cenjie & Fang, Jiayu & Xie, Rui, 2021. "Energy policy and corporate financial performance: Evidence from China's 11th five-year plan," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    19. Ge, HuaHua & Zhang, XiaoXi, 2025. "From uncertainty to sustainability: How climate policy uncertainty shapes corporate ESG?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    20. Huang, Zhen & Gao, Ning & Jia, Ming, 2023. "Green credit and its obstacles: Evidence from China's green credit guidelines," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    21. Altamuro, Jennifer & Beatty, Anne, 2010. "How does internal control regulation affect financial reporting?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1-2), pages 58-74, February.
    22. Burgstahler, David & Dichev, Ilia, 1997. "Earnings management to avoid earnings decreases and losses," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 99-126, December.
    23. Fan, Haichao & Peng, Yuchao & Wang, Huanhuan & Xu, Zhiwei, 2021. "Greening through finance?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    24. Tian, Jinfang & Sun, Siyang & Cao, Wei & Bu, Di & Xue, Rui, 2024. "Make every dollar count: The impact of green credit regulation on corporate green investment efficiency," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    25. Jeffrey Cohen & Ganesh Krishnamoorthy & Arnold M. Wright, 2002. "Corporate Governance and the Audit Process," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), pages 573-594, December.
    26. Liu, Yijun & Xu, Rong, 2024. "Money talks: How financial constraint influence corporate environmental behavior prioritization," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 556-578.
    27. Florackis, Chris & Fu, Xi & Wang, Jingjing, 2023. "Political connections, environmental violations and punishment: Evidence from heavily polluting firms," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    28. Chen, Sheng-Syan & Wang, Yanzhi, 2012. "Financial constraints and share repurchases," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(2), pages 311-331.
    29. Bartram, Söhnke M. & Hou, Kewei & Kim, Sehoon, 2022. "Real effects of climate policy: Financial constraints and spillovers," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(2), pages 668-696.
    30. Hu, Guoqiang & Wang, Xiaoqi & Wang, Yu, 2021. "Can the green credit policy stimulate green innovation in heavily polluting enterprises? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Jun & Wang, Bowen & Lei, Xue, 2025. "Does enhanced judicial protection reduce illegal overtime work? Evidence from China's circuit court reform," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).

    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. Tian, Jinfang & Sun, Siyang & Cao, Wei & Bu, Di & Xue, Rui, 2024. "Make every dollar count: The impact of green credit regulation on corporate green investment efficiency," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Tan, Ruipeng & Zhu, Wenjun & Xu, Mengmeng & Zhang, Zixuan, 2025. "From voluntary to mandatory implementation: The impact of green credit policy on de-zombification in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    3. Peng, Changhong & Chen, Dongjing & Jia, Daizheng & Liu, Qiao & Xu, Xin, 2025. "Can green credit policies reduce enterprise risk? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    4. Huiying Cui, 2025. "Green Credit and Green Transformation of High-Polluting Enterprises: “Extrusion Effect†or “Porter Effect†?," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(3), pages 21582440251, September.
    5. Bai, Yaxin & Wang, Zehao & Sun, Xiaowei, 2025. "Green credit policy and its friction: Evidence from corporate asset structure adjustments," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(PB).
    6. Ma, Yanbai & Lu, Ling & Cui, Jingbo & Shi, Xunpeng, 2024. "Can green credit policy stimulate firms’ green investments?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 123-137.
    7. Wei Cao & Martina Linnenluecke & Jinfang Tian & Rui Xue & Huan Yang, 2023. "How does investor attention affect energy firms' managerial opportunistic behavior? New evidence from China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 5025-5043, November.
    8. Jin, Jian & Xu, Su & Gao, Bei, 2025. "Can energy efficiency credit guidelines boost enterprises' low-carbon technological innovation? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    9. Guo, Shu & Zhang, ZhongXiang, 2023. "Green credit policy and total factor productivity: Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    10. Ge, Shilong & Luo, Xiaodan & Li, Yuangang & Zheng, Lanxing, 2024. "The impact of green credit policy on total factor productivity of enterprises," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    11. Yue, Shuai & Anderson, Hamish D. & Liao, Jing, 2025. "Who does not advance loses ground: Green investment as a strategic response by small and medium-sized enterprises to economic policy uncertainty," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    12. Xie, Xinmei & Chang, Yu-Shan & Shiue, Min-Jeng, 2022. "Corporate life cycle, family firms, and earnings management: Evidence from Taiwan," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    13. Ma, Luyao & Lv, Xin & Shen, Zhiyang & Yu, Chang & Zhang, Qingyi, 2026. "How green bonds influence corporate environmental behaviour: A heterogeneous analysis," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    14. Mingbo Zheng & Gen-Fu Feng & Chun-Ping Chang, 2023. "Is green finance capable of promoting renewable energy technology? Empirical investigation for 64 economies worldwide," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 14(2), pages 483-510, June.
    15. Li, Shibin & Wang, Qian, 2023. "Green finance policy and digital transformation of heavily polluting firms: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PA).
    16. Delis, Manthos D. & Hasan, Iftekhar & Iosifidi, Maria & Li, Lingxiang, 2018. "Accounting quality in banking: The role of regulatory interventions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 297-317.
    17. Kingsley E. Dogah & Presley K. Wesseh & Samuel Adomako, 2025. "Green credit policy, technological innovation, and corporate financial performance: Evidence from the energy industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 1171-1188, January.
    18. Zhang, Jing & Feng, Yuan & Xia, Zhongwei, 2025. "Online external attention vicariously monitors real earnings management along interlocking directors," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    19. Wang, Minzhi & Guo, Xinxin & Gu, Yu, 2026. "Greening through credit: Green credit and polluting firm dynamics in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    20. Jingmin Yao & Zhihui Yu & Zhenjun Yan & Yanfang Wang, 2025. "Verifying the “Porter Effect” of Green Credit Policy on Upstream Suppliers in the Green Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-22, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:reveco:v:103:y:2025:i:c:s1059056025006835. 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/620165 .

    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.