IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/124270.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

What Explains the Greening of China's Energy ODI? The Role of Environmental Regulation, Endowments and Financial Factors

Author

Listed:
  • Xu, Mohan
  • Tang, Yao

Abstract

In the current study, we document a steady rise in the share of renewable energy projects in China's outward direct investment (ODI) in the energy sector. We examine the driving forces and find that both host country's environmental regulation and financial factors has generated different or even opposite effects on China's ODI in fossil fuels and renewable energy. Specifically, China's ODI in fossil fuels is positively correlated with endowments in fossil fuels, electricity consumption, low financing costs, and high exchange rate volatility. In comparison, ODI in renewable energy is more likely to occur in host countries with stricter environmental regulation and less likely to be impeded by tighter monetary policy. The results suggest that the combination of regulatory policies and financing conditions can have an important influence in the global transition to renewable energy.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu, Mohan & Tang, Yao, 2025. "What Explains the Greening of China's Energy ODI? The Role of Environmental Regulation, Endowments and Financial Factors," MPRA Paper 124270, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:124270
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/124270/1/MPRA_paper_124270.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yiping Huang & Bijun Wang, 2011. "Chinese Outward Direct Investment: Is There a China Model?," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 19(4), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Kevin Sweeney & Omar M.G. Keshk, 2005. "the Similarity of States: Using S to Compute Dyadic Interest Similarity," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 22(2), pages 165-187, April.
    3. Motta, Massimo & Thisse, Jacques-Francois, 1994. "Does environmental dumping lead to delocation?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(3-4), pages 563-576, April.
    4. Peree, Eric & Steinherr, Alfred, 1989. "Exchange rate uncertainty and foreign trade," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1241-1264, July.
    5. Saeed Moshiri & Arian Daneshmand, 2020. "How effective is government spending on environmental protection in a developing country?," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 47(4), pages 789-803, February.
    6. Neal D. Woods, 2006. "Interstate Competition and Environmental Regulation: A Test of the Race‐to‐the‐Bottom Thesis," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 87(1), pages 174-189, March.
    7. Lu, Juan & Li, He, 2024. "The impact of ESG ratings on low carbon investment: Evidence from renewable energy companies," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    8. Guizhou Liu & Shigeyuki Hamori, 2020. "Can One Reinforce Investments in Renewable Energy Stock Indices with the ESG Index?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, March.
    9. Roberts Lazdins & Anna Mutule & Diana Zalostiba, 2021. "PV Energy Communities—Challenges and Barriers from a Consumer Perspective: A Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.
    10. John H Dunning, 1980. "Towards an Eclectic Theory of International Production: Some Empirical Tests," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 11(1), pages 9-31, March.
    11. Auboin, Marc & Ruta, Michele, 2013. "The relationship between exchange rates and international trade: a literature review," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(3), pages 577-605, July.
    12. Chen, Xudong & Huang, Bihong & Lin, Chin-Te, 2019. "Environmental awareness and environmental Kuznets curve," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 2-11.
    13. Steckel, Jan Christoph & Jakob, Michael, 2018. "The role of financing cost and de-risking strategies for clean energy investment," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 19-28.
    14. Gregor Semieniuk & Philip B. Holden & Jean-Francois Mercure & Pablo Salas & Hector Pollitt & Katharine Jobson & Pim Vercoulen & Unnada Chewpreecha & Neil R. Edwards & Jorge E. Viñuales, 2022. "Stranded fossil-fuel assets translate to major losses for investors in advanced economies," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(6), pages 532-538, June.
    15. Yongqin Wang & Julan Du & Kai Wang, 2015. "The Determinants of Location Choices of China's ODI: Institutions, Taxation and Resources," Frontiers of Economics in China-Selected Publications from Chinese Universities, Higher Education Press, vol. 10(3), pages 540-565, September.
    16. Valadkhani, Abbas & Smyth, Russell & Nguyen, Jeremy, 2019. "Effects of primary energy consumption on CO2 emissions under optimal thresholds: Evidence from sixty countries over the last half century," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 680-690.
    17. Joseph E. Aldy & Matthew J. Kotchen & Anthony A. Leiserowitz, 2012. "Willingness to pay and political support for a US national clean energy standard," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(8), pages 596-599, August.
    18. David M. Konisky, 2007. "Regulatory Competition and Environmental Enforcement: Is There a Race to the Bottom?," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 51(4), pages 853-872, October.
    19. Häge, Frank M., 2011. "Choice or Circumstance? Adjusting Measures of Foreign Policy Similarity for Chance Agreement," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(3), pages 287-305, July.
    20. Christophe McGlade & Paul Ekins, 2015. "The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2 °C," Nature, Nature, vol. 517(7533), pages 187-190, January.
    21. French, Scott, 2017. "Revealed comparative advantage: What is it good for?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 83-103.
    22. Baumol,William J. & Oates,Wallace E., 1988. "The Theory of Environmental Policy," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521322249, June.
    23. Liedtke, Stephan, 2017. "Chinese energy investments in Europe: An analysis of policy drivers and approaches," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 659-669.
    24. Huang, Yuanyuan & Xie, En & Li, Yu & Reddy, K.S., 2017. "Does state ownership facilitate outward FDI of Chinese SOEs? Institutional development, market competition, and the logic of interdependence between governments and SOEs," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 176-188.
    25. Nugent, Jeffrey B. & Lu, Jiaxuan, 2021. "China's outward foreign direct investment in the Belt and Road Initiative: What are the motives for Chinese firms to invest?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    26. Amighini, Alessia A. & Rabellotti, Roberta & Sanfilippo, Marco, 2013. "Do Chinese state-owned and private enterprises differ in their internationalization strategies?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 312-325.
    27. Eyraud, Luc & Clements, Benedict & Wane, Abdoul, 2013. "Green investment: Trends and determinants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 852-865.
    28. Tan, Xiaomei, 2013. "China's overseas investment in the energy/resources sector: Its scale, drivers, challenges and implications," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 750-758.
    29. Wüstenhagen, Rolf & Menichetti, Emanuela, 2012. "Strategic choices for renewable energy investment: Conceptual framework and opportunities for further research," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 1-10.
    30. Rahman, Sajjadur & Serletis, Apostolos, 2009. "The effects of exchange rate uncertainty on exports," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 500-507, September.
    31. Xiaoping He & Xin Yao, 2017. "Foreign Direct Investments and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: New Evidence from Chinese Provinces," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(1), pages 12-25, January.
    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. Luo, Limin & Qi, Zhen & Hubbard, Paul, 2017. "Not looking for trouble: Understanding large-scale Chinese overseas investment by sector and ownership," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 142-164.
    2. Christian Dreger & Yun Schüler-Zhou & Margot Schüller, 2017. "Determinants of Chinese direct investments in the European Union," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(42), pages 4231-4240, September.
    3. Amar Anwar & Ichiro Iwasaki, 2022. "Institutions and FDI from BRICS countries: a meta-analytic review," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 417-468, July.
    4. Lin, Yue, 2015. "Firm heterogeneity and location choice of Chinese firms in Latin America and the Caribbean: Corporate ownership, strategic motives and host country institutions," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 274-292.
    5. Giancarlo Giudici & Massimiliano Guerini & Cristina Rossi-Lamastra, 2019. "The creation of cleantech startups at the local level: the role of knowledge availability and environmental awareness," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 815-830, April.
    6. Imad Moosa, 2019. "The Environmental Effects of FDI: Evidence from MENA Countries," Working Papers 1321, Economic Research Forum, revised 21 Aug 2019.
    7. Chen, Hong & Gangopadhyay, Partha & Singh, Baljeet & Chen, Kairan, 2023. "What motivates Chinese multinational firms to invest in Asia? Poor institutions versus rich infrastructures of a host country," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    8. Sailian Xia & Daming You & Zhihua Tang & Bo Yang, 2021. "Analysis of the Spatial Effect of Fiscal Decentralization and Environmental Decentralization on Carbon Emissions under the Pressure of Officials’ Promotion," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, March.
    9. Rümeysa ÇELİK, 2018. "The Effect of Exchange Rate Volatility on Export: The Case of Turkey (1995-2017)," Istanbul Journal of Economics-Istanbul Iktisat Dergisi, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 68(1), pages 181-180, June.
    10. Gökçe, Osman Zeki & Hatipoglu, Emre & Belaïd, Fateh, 2024. "Navigating energy diplomacy in times of recovery and conflict: A study of cross-border energy trade dynamics," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    11. Christian Haas & Karol Kempa, 2023. "Low-Carbon Investment and Credit Rationing," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 86(1), pages 109-145, October.
    12. Neal D. Woods, 2021. "The State of State Environmental Policy Research: A Thirty‐Year Progress Report," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 38(3), pages 347-369, May.
    13. Robert Elliott & Ying Zhou, 2013. "Environmental Regulation Induced Foreign Direct Investment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 55(1), pages 141-158, May.
    14. Damoah, Kaku Attah & Giovannetti, Giorgia & Marvasi, Enrico, 2022. "Do country centrality and similarity to China matter in the allocation of belt and road projects?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 660-674.
    15. Lisha He & Ronghao Jiang & Mia M. Bennett, 2020. "The rise of Chinese foreign direct investment in the United States: Disentangling investment strategies of state‐owned and private enterprises," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(4), pages 1562-1587, December.
    16. Millimet, Daniel L., 2013. "Environmental Federalism: A Survey of the Empirical Literature," IZA Discussion Papers 7831, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Zhao, Jinjing & Pan, Jie & Xie, Xiangwei & Su, Miao, 2024. "Green outward foreign direct investment and host country environmental effects: The home country's carbon emission reduction system is crucial," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    18. Izabela Jonek-Kowalska, 2022. "Assessing the energy security of European countries in the resource and economic context," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 13(2), pages 301-334, June.
    19. Alessandro Nicita, 2013. "Exchange rates, international trade and trade policies," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 135-136, pages 47-61.
    20. Mazzucato, Mariana & Semieniuk, Gregor, 2018. "Financing renewable energy: Who is financing what and why it matters," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 8-22.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    direct investment; fossil fuels; renewable energy; environmental regulation; monetary policy; exchange rate volatility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:pra:mprapa:124270. 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: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    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.