IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jecfin/v47y2023i4d10.1007_s12197-023-09628-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Green loans and the transformation of heavy polluters: evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Lei Xu

    (University of South Australia)

  • Chen Ma

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Bin Li

    (Shandong University)

  • Fei Guo

    (Shandong University)

Abstract

China has historically imposed its green loan policy since 2012. We examine the impact of green loan policy on the transformation of heavy polluters and find that green loans are favorable towards their green mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Our results also suggest that green loans provide better incentives to heavy polluters in regions of lower pollution, with lower asset specificity, or with fewer financing constraints. Our additional test suggests that the green loan policy may be meaningful for privately owned heavy polluters. Good bank-firm relationships or less GDP pressure on local government may further strengthen such incentives. This study may contribute to the discussion on green loans and the transformation of heavy polluters with policy implications for emerging markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Lei Xu & Chen Ma & Bin Li & Fei Guo, 2023. "Green loans and the transformation of heavy polluters: evidence from China," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 47(4), pages 884-911, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jecfin:v:47:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s12197-023-09628-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s12197-023-09628-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12197-023-09628-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12197-023-09628-9?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. Uchida, Hirofumi & Nakagawa, Ryuichi, 2007. "Herd behavior in the Japanese loan market: Evidence from bank panel data," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 555-583, October.
    2. Berger, Allen N. & Hasan, Iftekhar & Zhou, Mingming, 2009. "Bank ownership and efficiency in China: What will happen in the world's largest nation?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 113-130, January.
    3. Claessens, Stijn & Feijen, Erik & Laeven, Luc, 2008. "Political connections and preferential access to finance: The role of campaign contributions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 554-580, June.
    4. S. Zeng & X. Xu & H. Yin & C. Tam, 2012. "Factors that Drive Chinese Listed Companies in Voluntary Disclosure of Environmental Information," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 309-321, September.
    5. Marianne Bertrand & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2003. "Enjoying the Quiet Life? Corporate Governance and Managerial Preferences," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 111(5), pages 1043-1075, October.
    6. Huang, Qianqian & Jiang, Feng & Lie, Erik & Yang, Ke, 2014. "The role of investment banker directors in M&A," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(2), pages 269-286.
    7. Paul Lanoie & Jérémy Laurent‐Lucchetti & Nick Johnstone & Stefan Ambec, 2011. "Environmental Policy, Innovation and Performance: New Insights on the Porter Hypothesis," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 803-842, September.
    8. Xuegang Cui & Lei Xu & Huili Zhang & Yuxiao Zhang, 2021. "Executive compensation and firm performance: Evidence from cross‐listed AH‐share firms," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 88-102, January.
    9. Shahidur R. Khandker & Gayatri B. Koolwal & Hussain A. Samad, 2010. "Handbook on Impact Evaluation : Quantitative Methods and Practices," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2693, August.
    10. Yu He & Lei Xu & Minhua Yang, 2021. "The impact of tunnelling on financial distress and resolution: Evidence from listed firms in China," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 1773-1792, April.
    11. Booth, James R. & Deli, Daniel N., 1999. "On executives of financial institutions as outside directors," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 227-250, September.
    12. Valentina Marano & Peter Tashman & Tatiana Kostova, 2017. "Escaping the iron cage: Liabilities of origin and CSR reporting of emerging market multinational enterprises," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(3), pages 386-408, April.
    13. Li-Wen Lin & Curtis J. Milhaupt, 2017. "Bonded to the State: A Network Perspective on China's Corporate Debt Market," Journal of Financial Regulation, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(1), pages 1-39.
    14. Long Wu & Lei Xu, 2020. "Venture capital certification of small and medium‐sized enterprises towards banks: evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(2), pages 1601-1633, June.
    15. Berger, Allen N. & Udell, Gregory F., 2006. "A more complete conceptual framework for SME finance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2945-2966, November.
    16. Yu He & Lei Xu & Ron P. McIver, 2019. "How does political connection affect firm financial distress and resolution in China?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(26), pages 2770-2792, June.
    17. Lu, Zhengfei & Zhu, Jigao & Zhang, Weining, 2012. "Bank discrimination, holding bank ownership, and economic consequences: Evidence from China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 341-354.
    18. Allen N. Berger & Gregory F. Udell, 2002. "Small Business Credit Availability and Relationship Lending: The Importance of Bank Organisational Structure," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(477), pages 32-53, February.
    19. Wu, Long & Xu, Lei & Jiang, Ping, 2023. "State-owned venture capitals and bank loans in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    20. Burak Güner, A. & Malmendier, Ulrike & Tate, Geoffrey, 2008. "Financial expertise of directors," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 323-354, May.
    21. Mara Faccio, 2006. "Politically Connected Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 369-386, March.
    22. Xiaofei Pan & Gary Gang Tian, 2020. "Bank Work Experience Versus Political Connections: Which Matters for Bank Loan Financing?," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 20(2), pages 351-382, June.
    23. Marco Raberto & Bulent Ozel & Linda Ponta & Andrea Teglio & Silvano Cincotti, 2019. "From financial instability to green finance: the role of banking and credit market regulation in the Eurace model," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 429-465, March.
    24. Volz, Ulrich, 2018. "Fostering Green Finance for Sustainable Development in Asia," ADBI Working Papers 814, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    25. Lei Xu & Qian Liu & Bin Li & Chen Ma, 2022. "Fintech business and firm access to bank loans," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4381-4421, December.
    26. Li, Bin & Pan, Ailing & Xu, Lei & Liu, Xin & Qin, Shuqian, 2020. "Imprinting and peer effects in acquiring state ownership: Evidence from private firms in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    27. Chami, Ralph & Cosimano, Thomas F. & Fullenkamp, Connel, 2002. "Managing ethical risk: How investing in ethics adds value," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(9), pages 1697-1718, September.
    28. 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.
    29. Shidi Dong & Lei Xu, 2016. "The impact of explicit CSR regulation: evidence from China’s mining firms," Journal of Applied Accounting Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 17(2), pages 237-258, May.
    30. Qian, Wei & Chen, Xuan, 2021. "Corporate environmental disclosure and political connection in regulatory and leadership changes: The case of China," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(1).
    31. Moeller, Sara B. & Schlingemann, Frederik P. & Stulz, Rene M., 2004. "Firm size and the gains from acquisitions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 201-228, August.
    32. Lei Xu & Shih-Cheng Lee & Yishu Fu, 2015. "Impacts of capital regulation and market discipline on capital ratio selection: evidence from China," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(3), pages 270-284, June.
    33. Houston, Joel F & James, Christopher M, 2001. "Do Relationships Have Limits? Banking Relationships, Financial Constraints, and Investment," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 74(3), pages 347-374, July.
    34. Xu, Lei & Lin, Chien-Ting, 2007. "Can Chinese banks compete after accession to WTO?," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 883-903, December.
    35. Steven N. Kaplan & Luigi Zingales, 1997. "Do Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivities Provide Useful Measures of Financing Constraints?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(1), pages 169-215.
    36. Sayan Chatterjee & Michael Lubatkin, 1990. "Corporate mergers, stockholder diversification, and changes in systematic risk," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(4), pages 255-268, May.
    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. Li, Bin & Guo, Fei & Xu, Lei & Meng, Siqi, 2024. "Fintech business and corporate social responsibility practices," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    2. Lei Xu & Qian Liu & Bin Li & Chen Ma, 2022. "Fintech business and firm access to bank loans," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4381-4421, December.
    3. Long Wu & Lei Xu, 2020. "Venture capital certification of small and medium‐sized enterprises towards banks: evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(2), pages 1601-1633, June.
    4. Wu, Long & Xu, Lei & Jiang, Ping, 2023. "State-owned venture capitals and bank loans in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    5. Cull, Robert & Li, Wei & Sun, Bo & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2015. "Government connections and financial constraints: Evidence from a large representative sample of Chinese firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 271-294.
    6. Long Wu & Lei Xu, 2022. "Bank loans and firm environmental information disclosure: Evidence from China's heavy polluters," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 42-71, March.
    7. Li, Qian & Guo, Mengting, 2022. "Do the resignations of politically connected independent directors affect corporate social responsibility? Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    8. Pan, Ailing & Xu, Lei & Li, Bin & Ling, Runze, 2020. "The impact of supply chain finance on firm cash holdings: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    9. Espenlaub, Susanne & Khurshed, Arif & Sitthipongpanich, Thitima, 2012. "Bank connections, corporate investment and crisis," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1336-1353.
    10. Santiago Kopoboru & Gloria Cuevas-Rodríguez & Leticia Pérez-Calero, 2020. "Boards that Make a Difference in Firm’s Acquisitions: The Role of Interlocks and Former Politicians in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, January.
    11. Ma, Qianli & Xu, Lei & Anwar, Sajid & Lu, Zenghua, 2023. "Banking competition and the use of shadow credit: Evidence from lending marketplaces," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    12. Kalyvas, Antonios Nikolaos & Mamatzakis, Emmanuel, 2017. "Do creditor rights and information sharing affect the performance of foreign banks?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 13-35.
    13. Xiang Deng & Li Li, 2020. "Promoting or Inhibiting? The Impact of Environmental Regulation on Corporate Financial Performance—An Empirical Analysis Based on China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-17, May.
    14. Wenli Cheng & Yongzheng Wu, 2019. "Bank finance for private firms in China: Does political capital still pay off?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(1), pages 242-267, January.
    15. Liu, Xinghe & Xu, Huifeng & Lu, Meiting, 2021. "Do auditors respond to stringent environmental regulation? Evidence from China’s new environmental protection law," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 54-67.
    16. Shi, Yang & Li, Jiachen & Liu, Ruiming, 2023. "Financing constraints and share pledges: Evidence from the share pledge reform in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    17. Lu, Yao & Zhan, Shuwei & Zhan, Minghua, 2024. "Has FinTech changed the sensitivity of corporate investment to interest rates?—Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    18. Upadhyay, Arun, 2023. "Rising board gender diversity and incentives of female directors," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    19. Yu-Hong Ai & Di-Yun Peng & Huan-Huan Xiong, 2021. "Impact of Environmental Regulation Intensity on Green Technology Innovation: From the Perspective of Political and Business Connections," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-23, April.
    20. Jintao Zhang & Zhen Yang & Li Meng & Lu Han, 2022. "Environmental regulations and enterprises innovation performance: the role of R&D investments and political connections," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 4088-4109, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Green loans; Heavy polluters; Transformation; Green m&a; Green finance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

    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:spr:jecfin:v:47:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s12197-023-09628-9. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.