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Why Do Firms Issue Green Bonds?

Author

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  • Julien Daubanes
  • Shema Mitali
  • Jean-Charles Rochet

Abstract

Corporate green bond announcements generate positive abnormal stock returns. We suggest this might be because managers use green bonds to signal the profitability of the climate-friendly projects they finance. First, we build a signaling model of green bond issuance. It predicts that firms’ incentives to decarbonize are amplified by the interest of their managers in their stock price. Second, we provide supporting empirical evidence, using cross-country variations in effective carbon prices, and cross-industry differences in the stock-price sensitivity of managers’ compensation. Our results suggest that green bonds are not substitutes for but rather complements to carbon pricing. JEL Classification: D53; H23; G14; Q54

Suggested Citation

  • Julien Daubanes & Shema Mitali & Jean-Charles Rochet, 2026. "Why Do Firms Issue Green Bonds?," The Energy Journal, , vol. 47(2), pages 81-102, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:enejou:v:47:y:2026:i:2:p:81-102
    DOI: 10.1177/01956574251366200
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lucas W. Davis & Gilbert E. Metcalf, 2016. "Does Better Information Lead to Better Choices? Evidence from Energy-Efficiency Labels," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(3), pages 589-625.
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    2. Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline & Mouez Fodha, 2023. "Debt, tax and environmental policy [Dette, taxe et politique environnementale]," Post-Print halshs-04181981, HAL.
    3. John Caramichael & Andreas Rapp, 2022. "The Green Corporate Bond Issuance Premium," International Finance Discussion Papers 1346, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    4. Bongaerts, Dion & Schoenmaker, Dirk, 2024. "Liquidity and clientele effects in green debt markets," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    5. Caramichael, John & Rapp, Andreas C., 2024. "The green corporate bond issuance premium," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    6. ElBannan, Mona A. & Löffler, Gunter, 2024. "How effectively do green bonds help the environment?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    7. Becker, Annette & Fatica, Serena & Rancan, Michela, 2025. "Not only green: Sustainability and debt capital markets," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    8. Naeem, Muhammad Abubakr & Ashraf, Sania & Karim, Sitara & Moussa, Faten, 2024. "Green finance under stress: Unraveling the spillover effects of tail risk," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 225-236.
    9. Rébecca Cardot & Carole Bernard & Jamil Jaballah, 2026. "Green bonds & certification: is getting certified always optimal?," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 356(1), pages 601-628, January.
    10. Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline & Mouez Fodha, 2023. "Dette, taxe et politique environnementale," Revue française d'économie, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(1), pages 55-106.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D53 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Financial Markets
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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