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Does Environmental Regulation Induce Green Innovation? A Panel Study of Chinese Listed Firms

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  • Cui, Jingbo
  • Dai, Jing
  • Wang, Zhenxuan
  • Zhao, Xiande

Abstract

To promote cleaner production, China launched nation-wide Cleaner Production Audit (CPA) program in 2004. This study examines the “weak” version of the Porter hypothesis while focusing on Chinese listed firms from 1990 to 2010. In this study, we provided evidence on the influence of China's CPA program on innovation based on green patent data. Using a difference-in-difference (DID) method, we find that there is a positive regulation effect on green innovation, i.e. the “weak” Porter hypothesis has been realized in the CPA program in China. Moreover, our results suggest that the regulation effect is more pronounced in encouraging radical green innovations measured by environmental invention patents than incremental green innovation measured by environmental utility patents. Then, we find that the CPA program regulatory effect is also affected by moderation variables such as industrial pollution intensity, but not by firm ownership. Our findings shed light on the policy implications on how firms respond to environmental regulations.

Suggested Citation

  • Cui, Jingbo & Dai, Jing & Wang, Zhenxuan & Zhao, Xiande, 2022. "Does Environmental Regulation Induce Green Innovation? A Panel Study of Chinese Listed Firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:176:y:2022:i:c:s0040162522000245
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121492
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    14. Hongwang Chang, 2023. "Do Heterogeneous Environmental Policies Improve Environmental Quality While Promoting Economic Growth?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, January.
    15. Huang, Hongyun & Mbanyele, William & Wang, Fengrong & Song, Malin & Wang, Yuzhang, 2022. "Climbing the quality ladder of green innovation: Does green finance matter?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    16. Emma Serwaa Obobisa & Haibo Chen & Isaac Adjei Mensah, 2023. "Transitions to sustainable development: the role of green innovation and institutional quality," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 6751-6780, July.
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    19. Xing Shi & Yujie Zeng & Yanrui Wu & Shuai Wang, 2023. "Outward Foreign Direct Investment and Green Innovation in Chinese Multinational Companies," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 23-05, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    20. Zhou, Kuo & Luo, Haotian & Ye, Diyu & Tao, Yunqing, 2022. "The power of anti-corruption in environmental innovation: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    21. Zhang, Zhenhua & Wang, Jing & Feng, Chao & Chen, Xi, 2023. "Do pilot zones for green finance reform and innovation promote energy savings? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    22. Ullah, Farid & Jiang, Ping & Elamer, Ahmed A. & Owusu, Andrews, 2022. "Environmental performance and corporate innovation in China: The moderating impact of firm ownership," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    23. Wojciech Chmielewski & Marta Postuła & Przemysław Dubel, 2023. "The Impact of Expenditure on Research and Development on Selected Energy Factors in the European Union," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-18, April.
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