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Improving the sustainable development of firms: Evidence from the environmental constraint target policy in China

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  • Luoqiong Zhou
  • Lei Du

Abstract

Our study focuses on a new environmental policy tool, environmental constraint target policy, which minimizes the implementation bias of environmental objectives through effective decomposition of environmental targets and goal management, thus ensuring the expected environmental performance. Using longitudinal data (2006–2019) covering 11,252 Chinese firm‐year observations in high‐pollution industries, we find that environmental constraint target policy promotes firms' green innovation. Such an effect is stronger when the firms are intensively monitored and weaker when the firms are located in a region with lower environmental enforcement capability. Further analysis reveals that environmental constraint target policy can enhance firms' economic performance by promoting green innovation, thereby facilitating sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Luoqiong Zhou & Lei Du, 2024. "Improving the sustainable development of firms: Evidence from the environmental constraint target policy in China," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(1), pages 1217-1225, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:32:y:2024:i:1:p:1217-1225
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.2730
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    Cited by:

    1. Bei Liu & Xing Bao & Zhaoxuan Qiu & Yunyun Zhang & Qiu Xia, 2024. "How does financial openness affect pollution emission of industrial enterprises?—Empirical evidence from the entry of foreign banks in China," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 2910-2930, August.
    2. Xianghui Tian & Zhang Juan, 2024. "Policy evaluation of place-based strategies on upgrading county industrial structures amid economic structural transformation: Insights from pilot counties of China’s returning entrepreneurs," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(12), pages 1-17, December.

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