IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/mgtdec/v46y2025i4p2329-2344.html

Shifting Proactive or Keeping Silent: How Does Environmental Legislation Enhance Companies' ESG Performance?

Author

Listed:
  • Xijia Huang
  • Wenkai Ao
  • Wei Hu
  • Lisi Yang

Abstract

By integrating the behavioral theory of firms with institutional theory, this study examines the causal impact of environmental legislation on corporate ESG performance through a quasi‐natural experiment involving the implementation of the China's New Environmental Protection Law (NEPL). Utilizing data on Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2021 and employing a difference‐in‐differences model, our findings reveal that the NEPL significantly boosts ESG performance, with improvements increasing over time. Our mechanism analysis indicates that this enhancement is primarily driven by the improved quality of environmental information disclosure, suggesting proactive disclosure under stringent environmental legislation. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals complementary effects from private attribute, institutional shareholdings, and public media attention. This paper opens the “black box” of how environmental legislation influences corporate ESG performance from the perspective of strategic company disclosure, highlighting the critical role of proactive information disclosure in navigating complex external environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Xijia Huang & Wenkai Ao & Wei Hu & Lisi Yang, 2025. "Shifting Proactive or Keeping Silent: How Does Environmental Legislation Enhance Companies' ESG Performance?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 46(4), pages 2329-2344, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:46:y:2025:i:4:p:2329-2344
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.4458
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/mde.4458
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/mde.4458?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yan, Kai & Zhang, Ziyi & Yang, Lisi & Cao, Yuqiang & Shan, Yaowen, 2024. "Capital generates green: Evidence from China's national innovation system policy," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Yang, Lisi & Liu, Linqing & Yan, Kai & Cai, Chunhua & Geng, Yannan, 2023. "“Carrot and stick”: Green fiscal policy, upper echelons expertise, and the green mergers and acquisitions," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    3. Yan, Kai & Chen, Zhiwu & Wang, Jingang & Wang, Peipei & Liang, Weiming, 2023. "The power from folk monitoring: Leading Officials’ Natural Resources Accountability Audit (NRAA) and corporate ESG performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    4. Ika Permatasari & I Made Narsa, 2021. "Sustainability reporting or integrated reporting: which one is valuable for investors?," Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 18(5), pages 666-684, September.
    5. Eliana La Ferrara & Alberto Chong & Suzanne Duryea, 2012. "Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 1-31, October.
    6. Shiyu Lu & Bo Cheng, 2023. "Does environmental regulation affect firms' ESG performance? Evidence from China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(4), pages 2004-2009, June.
    7. Jinhua Cui & Hoje Jo & Haejung Na, 2018. "Does Corporate Social Responsibility Affect Information Asymmetry?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(3), pages 549-572, March.
    8. Liu, Xing & Liu, Fengzhong, 2022. "Environmental regulation and corporate financial asset allocation: A natural experiment from the new environmental protection law in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    9. Fang Chen Kao, 2023. "How do ESG activities affect corporate performance?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(7), pages 4099-4116, October.
    10. Fu, Tong & Yang, Yang & Zhang, Hongru & Mao, Zhenxing (Eddie), 2023. "Risk culture as a blessing in tourism development: Long-run effects of epidemic disasters," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    11. Jha, Anand & Cox, James, 2015. "Corporate social responsibility and social capital," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 252-270.
    12. Zhihua Cheng & Feng Wang & Christine Keung & Yongxiu Bai, 2017. "Will Corporate Political Connection Influence the Environmental Information Disclosure Level? Based on the Panel Data of A-Shares from Listed Companies in Shanghai Stock Market," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 209-221, June.
    13. Xu, Nana & Chen, Jiaqi & Zhou, Fangzhao & Dong, Qing & He, Zhifang, 2023. "Corporate ESG and resilience of stock prices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. He, Feng & Guo, Xinyao & Yue, Pengpeng, 2024. "Media coverage and corporate ESG performance: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    15. Tang, Pengcheng & Jiang, Qisheng & Wang, Chao, 2024. "Beyond environmental actions: How environmental regulations stimulate strategic-political CSR engagement in China?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    16. Karl V. Lins & Henri Servaes & Ane Tamayo, 2017. "Social Capital, Trust, and Firm Performance: The Value of Corporate Social Responsibility during the Financial Crisis," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 72(4), pages 1785-1824, August.
    17. Frondel, Manuel & Horbach, Jens & Rennings, Klaus, 2008. "What triggers environmental management and innovation? Empirical evidence for Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 153-160, May.
    18. Zhou, Di & Qiu, Yuan & Wang, Mingzhe, 2021. "Does environmental regulation promote enterprise profitability? Evidence from the implementation of China's newly revised Environmental Protection Law," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    19. Edward L. Glaeser & Glenn Ellison, 1999. "The Geographic Concentration of Industry: Does Natural Advantage Explain Agglomeration?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(2), pages 311-316, May.
    20. DasGupta, Ranjan, 2022. "Financial performance shortfall, ESG controversies, and ESG performance: Evidence from firms around the world," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    21. Rui Albuquerque & Yrjö Koskinen & Chendi Zhang, 2019. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Risk: Theory and Empirical Evidence," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(10), pages 4451-4469, October.
    22. Fu, Tong & Jian, Ze, 2021. "Corruption pays off: How environmental regulations promote corporate innovation in a developing country," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    23. Jingyi Yang & Caiqi Bu & Daqian Shi, 2023. "Does stringent environmental regulation reduce the overinvestment of high polluting firms? – Quasi-natural experiment evidence from China’s new “environmental protection law”," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 66(6), pages 1167-1188, May.
    24. Fang, Mingyue & Nie, Huihua & Shen, Xinyi, 2023. "Can enterprise digitization improve ESG performance?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    25. Michelle Rodrigue, 2014. "Contrasting realities: corporate environmental disclosure and stakeholder-released information," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(1), pages 119-149, January.
    26. Michelle Rodrigue, 2014. "Contrasting realities: corporate environmental disclosure and stakeholder-released information," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(1), pages 119-149, January.
    27. Molly Lipscomb & A. Mushfiq Mobarak & Tania Barham, 2013. "Development Effects of Electrification: Evidence from the Topographic Placement of Hydropower Plants in Brazil," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(2), pages 200-231, April.
    28. Wan, Guochao & Zhang, Weike & Li, Chao, 2024. "How does low-carbon city pilot policy catalyze companies toward ESG practices? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1593-1607.
    29. Xiaofeng Quan & Yun Ke & Yuting Qian & Yao Zhang, 2023. "CEO Foreign Experience and Green Innovation: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(2), pages 535-557, January.
    30. Liu, Linqing & Yang, Lisi & Yan, Kai, 2023. "The power of clans: How social capital sheltered firms during the COVID-19 pandemic," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    31. Shuai Shao & Zhigao Hu & Jianhua Cao & Lili Yang & Dabo Guan, 2020. "Environmental Regulation and Enterprise Innovation: A Review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 1465-1478, March.
    32. Jennifer Chen & Charles Cho & Dennis Patten, 2014. "Initiating Disclosure of Environmental Liability Information: An Empirical Analysis of Firm Choice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 125(4), pages 681-692, December.
    33. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-04-2013-1305 is not listed on IDEAS
    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. Zhang, Hengfeng & Wu, Jing, 2025. "How ESG performance aspiration gap affect the supply chain stability?," 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. Yan, Kai & Liu, Na & Shi, Lei & Yang, Lisi & Lu, Meiting, 2025. "How does FinTech enable the expansion of green innovation boundaries: Evidence from the interventions of China's environmental protection tax law," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    2. Peng, Shengnan & Liu, Chan & Wang, Ze & Ye, Zihan & Sun, Xialing & Tan, Zhanglu, 2024. "The impact of the carbon reduction policy effectiveness on energy companies' ESG performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    3. He, Feng & Feng, Yaqian & Hao, Jing, 2023. "Corporate ESG rating and stock market liquidity: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    4. Fan, Rui & Xu, Yuxuan & Yu, Liying & Qiu, Ran, 2025. "Sustainability needs trust: The role of social trust in driving corporate ESG performance," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1492-1509.
    5. Li, Lidan & Han, Jie & Mo, Shenwei & Yang, Yupeng, 2024. "Tackling competition by reducing emissions: Private firms’ polluting behavior under peer IPOs," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PB), pages 232-249.
    6. Duan, Dingkang & Wei, Ran & Wang, Chao & Xia, Bingyu, 2025. "Opportunity or obstacle? Climate risk disclosure and corporate ESG performance," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    7. Renhong Wu & Jinbao Li & Yunhai Dai & Xiangdong Shen & Md. Alamgir Hossain, 2024. "Impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance on Innovation in Chinese Listed Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-24, August.
    8. Byun, Seong K. & Han, Sulei & Oh, Jong-Min & Xu, Jing, 2025. "ESG complementarity in emerging market: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    9. Li, Qiaochu & Liu, Yuehan & Yang, Qinghe & Jian, Jianhui & Li, Tao, 2025. "Economic policy uncertainty and ESG performance," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    10. Jha, Anand & Kulchania, Manoj & Kwon, Min-Jeong, 2022. "Stock repurchasing and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    11. Hossain, Ashrafee Tanvir & Kryzanowski, Lawrence, 2021. "Political corruption and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    12. Wang, Li & Dai, Yunhao & Kong, Dongmin, 2021. "Air pollution and employee treatment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    13. Ji, Qiang & Nie, Song, 2024. "How does local government fiscal pressure affect corporate ESG performance?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    14. Jin, Shaorong & Xiong, Ruoyu & Peng, Huan & Tang, Shiyu, 2025. "ESG performance and private enterprise resilience: Evidence from Chinese financial markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    15. Wu, Zhenshu & Pownall, Rachel & Shih, Yi-Cheng & Zhang, Chendi, 2025. "State ownership and the value of sustainability: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    16. Liu, Xufeng & Wan, Die, 2023. "Retail investor trading and ESG pricing in China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    17. Wang, Kai & Chen, Xi & Wang, Chenye, 2023. "The impact of sustainable development planning in resource-based cities on corporate ESG–Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PA).
    18. Marie, Mohamed & Qi, Baolei & Elgammal, Mohammed & Elnahass, Marwa, 2024. "A more sustainable future: Can politically connected CEOs spur the nexus between ESG performance and firm financial performance?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    19. Gillan, Stuart L. & Koch, Andrew & Starks, Laura T., 2021. "Firms and social responsibility: A review of ESG and CSR research in corporate finance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    20. Luo, Runmei & Ye, Yong, 2024. "Do firms listen to the ESG voices of minority investors? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA).

    More about this item

    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:wly:mgtdec:v:46:y:2025:i:4:p:2329-2344. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/7976 .

    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.