IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/riibaf/v83y2026ics0275531926000097.html

Leveraging digital-green finance synergies to accelerate biodiversity conservation and sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Guo, Hongyu
  • Rahmoune, Mbarek
  • Hunjra, Ahmed Imran
  • Xu, Xiaoli

Abstract

Biodiversity loss represents a critical global challenge that is critically underfunded due to market failures rooted in information frictions. Analyzing a comprehensive dataset of Chinese A-share listed firms from 2011 to 2023, we demonstrate that the synergy between digital and green finance (DGF) significantly enhances corporate biodiversity attention (CBIO). Grounded in information friction theory, we posit that this synergy operates through external pressure and internal response channels. These effects are amplified by strong enforcement, digital infrastructure, and climate risk awareness, and are most pronounced in less-developed and non-traditional industrial regions. Our findings demonstrate that architecting integrated digital-green financial ecosystems, rather than isolated policies, is essential to aligning finance with biodiversity goals. Our findings demonstrate that architecting integrated digital-green financial ecosystems, not isolated policies, is essential to aligning finance with biodiversity goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Guo, Hongyu & Rahmoune, Mbarek & Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Xu, Xiaoli, 2026. "Leveraging digital-green finance synergies to accelerate biodiversity conservation and sustainability," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:83:y:2026:i:c:s0275531926000097
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2026.103282
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0275531926000097
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ribaf.2026.103282?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. Zhao, Yinghan & Qu, Xiaoyu & Lucey, Brian, 2025. "Managerial myopia and biodiversity alignment- evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    2. Guoyi Zhang & Dong Chen, 2024. "Environmental Justice and Corporate Green Innovation: The Role of Legitimacy Pressures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Niu, Geng & Jin, XiaoShu & Wang, Qi & Zhou, Yang, 2022. "Broadband infrastructure and digital financial inclusion in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. Zhu, Xiaoke & Wu, Hanqi & Deng, Qiyun, 2024. "Quantity or quality: Novel insights into the impact of digital finance on innovation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    5. 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.
    6. Dempsey, Stephen J. & Sheng, Hainan, 2023. "Dividend change announcements, ROE, and the cost of equity capital," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    7. Feng, Chao & Cheng, Xi & Luo, Jiaxing & Zheng, Hao & Wang, Miao, 2025. "Can corporate site visits by institutional investors improve the quality of corporate environmental information disclosure? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    8. Li, Hongquan & Yang, Yang, 2025. "Can proximity to World Heritage Sites reduce corporate misconduct? Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(PB).
    9. Uyar, Ali & Al-Shaer, Habiba & Kuzey, Cemil & Karaman, Abdullah S., 2025. "Internal governance, external pressure, and biodiversity disclosure," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    10. Xu, Yong & Li, Shanshan & Zhou, Xiaoxiao & Shahzad, Umer & Zhao, Xin, 2022. "How environmental regulations affect the development of green finance: Recent evidence from polluting firms in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 917-926.
    11. Qiong Xu & Xin Li & Yu Dong & Fei Guo, 2025. "Digitization and green innovation: how does digitization affect enterprises’ green technology innovation?," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 68(6), pages 1282-1311, May.
    12. Alexander Bassen & Daniel Buchholz & Kerstin Lopatta & Anna R. Rudolf, 2024. "Biodiversity management and stock price crash risk," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4788-4805, July.
    13. Carlos Mena & Tobias Schoenherr, 2023. "The green contagion effect: an investigation into the propagation of environmental practices across multiple supply chains tiers," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 61(14), pages 4808-4825, July.
    14. Amit Kumar & Kaushal Kumar, 2024. "A multi-objective optimization approach for designing a sustainable supply chain considering carbon emissions," International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, Springer;The Society for Reliability, Engineering Quality and Operations Management (SREQOM),India, and Division of Operation and Maintenance, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden, vol. 15(5), pages 1777-1793, May.
    15. Sudipto Dasgupta & Thanh D & Ying Xia & Holger Mueller, 2023. "Joining Forces: The Spillover Effects of EPA Enforcement Actions and the Role of Socially Responsible Investors," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 36(9), pages 3781-3824.
    16. repec:osf:socarx:74ujt_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Liu, Xiaoqian & Cifuentes-Faura, Javier & Zhao, Shikuan & Wang, Long, 2023. "Government environmental attention and carbon emissions governance: Firm-level evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 121-142.
    18. Lv, Chengchao & Bian, Baocheng & Lee, Chien-Chiang & He, Zhiwen, 2021. "Regional gap and the trend of green finance development in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    19. Ting Yang & Kai Wu, 2025. "Green Finance Policies and Corporate Biodiversity Disclosure: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-21, May.
    20. Delphine Clara Zemp & Nathaly Guerrero-Ramirez & Fabian Brambach & Kevin Darras & Ingo Grass & Anton Potapov & Alexander Röll & Isabelle Arimond & Johannes Ballauff & Hermann Behling & Dirk Berkelmann, 2023. "Tree islands enhance biodiversity and functioning in oil palm landscapes," Nature, Nature, vol. 618(7964), pages 316-321, June.
    21. Chen, Yinying & Yin, Liang & Hu, Shiyang & Li, Xiang, 2025. "Biodiversity conservation and corporate environmental information disclosure: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    22. Xing Zhao & Yuanyuan Qian, 2024. "Does Digital Technology Promote Green Innovation Performance?," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 7568-7587, June.
    23. Vestrelli, Roberto & Fronzetti Colladon, Andrea & Pisello, Anna Laura, 2024. "When attention to climate change matters: The impact of climate risk disclosure on firm market value," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    24. Gao, Zhiyuan & Zhu, Yingnan & Wei, Yihang & Hao, Yu, 2025. "The green circuit: Tracing digital inclusive finance's role in sustainable urban development," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    25. Guo, Jia & Cheng, Zhiming & Wang, Ben Zhe, 2024. "Internet development and entrepreneurship," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    26. Guo, Min & Wang, Jingbei & Liu, Hui & Zhai, He, 2025. "Analyzing the role of digital technology to enhance firms’ green innovation resilience: A moderated mediation model," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    27. He, Feng & Chen, Longxuan & Lucey, Brian M., 2024. "Chinese corporate biodiversity exposure," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    28. Gao, Bin & Qin, Mimi & Xie, Jun, 2025. "Does corporate digital transformation improve capital market transparency? Evidence from China," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    29. Yuanning Liang & Ivan J. Rudik & Eric Zou & Alison Johnston & Amanda D. Rodewald & Catherine L. Kling, 2020. "Conservation Co-Benefits from Air Pollution Regulation: Evidence from Birds," NBER Working Papers 27415, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    30. Zhong, Kai & Song, Liangrong, 2025. "Artificial intelligence adoption and corporate green innovation capability," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    31. Cifuentes-Faura, Javier & Mohammed, Kamel Si & Alofaysan, Hind, 2024. "The connectedness and structural changes among green and conventional energy markets with CO2 emissions in the United States," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 80-94.
    32. He, Feng & Wei, Chunyang & Lucey, Brian & Hao, Jing, 2025. "Beyond greenwashing: How does firm-level biodiversity disclosure affect corporate sustainability strategy?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    33. Kalhoro, Muhammad Ramzan & Kyaw, Khine, 2024. "Manage biodiversity risk exposure?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    34. Hu, Shuo & Wang, Ailun & Du, Kerui, 2023. "Environmental tax reform and greenwashing: Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    35. Patrick Velte, 2024. "Sustainable board governance and environmental performance: European evidence," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3397-3421, May.
    36. Zhang, Jinzhu & Liu, Yu & Zhou, Meifang & Chen, Boyang & Liu, Yawen & Cheng, Baodong & Xue, Jinjun & Zhang, Wei, 2022. "Regulatory effect of improving environmental information disclosure under environmental tax in China: From the perspectives of temporal and industrial heterogeneity," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    37. M. Scott Taylor & Fruzsina Mayer, 2023. "International Trade, Noise Pollution, and Killer Whales," NBER Working Papers 31390, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    38. Feng, Lingbing & Huang, Dasen & Chen, Fengwen & Liao, Fangnan, 2024. "Leveraging climate risk disclosure for enhanced corporate innovation: Pathways to sustainable and resilient business practices," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    39. Orazalin, Nurlan S. & Ntim, Collins G. & Kalimilo Malagila, John, 2025. "Corporate governance, national governance quality, and biodiversity reporting: Global evidence," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    40. Sasaki, Shusaku & Kubo, Takahiro & Kitano, Shodai, 2025. "Prosocial and financial incentives for biodiversity conservation: A field experiment using a smartphone app," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    41. Fanny E. Berigüete & José S. Santos & Inma Rodriguez Cantalapiedra, 2024. "Digital Revolution: Emerging Technologies for Enhancing Citizen Engagement in Urban and Environmental Management," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-42, November.
    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. Zhou, Xijin & Lin, Deqin, 2025. "Impact of the environmental protection law on corporate biodiversity risk attention - An empirical analysis based on data of Chinese listed companies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PE).
    2. He, Feng & Wei, Chunyang & Lucey, Brian & Hao, Jing, 2025. "Beyond greenwashing: How does firm-level biodiversity disclosure affect corporate sustainability strategy?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    3. He, Feng & Duan, Lin & Lucey, Brian & Hao, Jing, 2025. "Biodiversity risk or climate risk? Which factor affects corporate ESG rating divergence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA).
    4. Zhang, Jinlong & Zhang, Wei & E, Jiyue, 2025. "The impact of biodiversity regulation on audit pricing − A quasi-natural experiment based on the Green Shield Program," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    5. Wang, Anchao & Saqib, Abdul & Chen, Xiuxiu & Zhao, Xiaoqing, 2026. "How biodiversity disclosure enhances ESG performance: The role of entrepreneurship and physical climate risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    6. Hao, Jing & Guan, Yu & Chen, Ruifan & Wu, Ji George, 2026. "Bank expansion and corporate biodiversity risk exposure: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    7. Zhang, Min & Chen, Guorong & Deng, Jing, 2025. "Does biodiversity attention affect risk spillover in the AFHF sectors?—Evidence from Chinese stock markets," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    8. Tran, Thanh Tat & Hoang, Khanh & Ngo, Thanh & Nguyen, Thang Xuan & Tran, Hien Thi Thu, 2025. "How does biodiversity risk exposure affect corporate regulatory intensity?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    9. Di Tommaso, Caterina & Foglia, Matteo & Pacelli, Vincenzo, 2025. "The impact of biodiversity score on the European firm’s performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    10. Pi, Tianlei & Jiao, Linke & Zhou, Yuhan & Shi, Jin, 2026. "Biodiversity risk and corporate greenwashing: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    11. Jérôme, Tiphaine & Poretti, Cédric, 2025. "Stock market reaction to the voluntary adoption of nature-related financial disclosure: An event study," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    12. Li, Jun & Jin, Yihang & Zhou, Peng, 2025. "Do banks price firms' biodiversity risk? Evidence from the Kunming declaration," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    13. Wang, Fei & Wang, Yongjian & Zhang, Zhenhua, 2025. "The effect of green finance on corporate biodiversity risks," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 108(PB).
    14. Yin, Libo & Zhu, Xiaoye & Li, Jingtian, 2025. "Does exposure to biodiversity risk drive firms’ digital transformation?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    15. Jiang, Lixia & Cao, Xiaojing & Wang, Zeyu & Zhan, Yun & Zhang, Jiali & Chen, Shuai, 2025. "Promoting energy saving and emission reduction benefits in small and medium-sized enterprises supply chains through green finance - Evidence based on artificial intelligence intervention," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    16. Yang, Guang & Li, Yu, 2025. "Research on biodiversity risk and corporate short-term debt for long-term use under disclosure regulation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Zhao, Jiyang & Wang, Xiaohong, 2025. "Managerial myopia, technological innovation, and greenwashing: Moderating roles of financing constraints and environmental uncertainty," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    18. Xu, Aiting & Dai, Yujie & Hu, Zhiyuan & Qiu, Keyang, 2025. "Can green finance policy promote inclusive green growth?- Based on the quasi-natural experiment of China's green finance reform and innovation pilot zone," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    19. Zhou, Jun & Zhang, Xueyi & Korkmaz, Aslihan Gizem & Li, Youwei & Yue, Pengpeng, 2025. "Entrepreneurship in the digital era," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    20. Wang, Jianda & Wu, Xiangru & Yang, Senmiao & Wang, Kun & Fu, Xiaowen, 2025. "Navigating green routes: How does air connectivity influence environmental information disclosure quality?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).

    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:riibaf:v:83:y:2026:i:c:s0275531926000097. 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/ribaf .

    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.