IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v58y2023ipbs1544612323007535.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Green financial policy and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Deng, Hong
  • Li, You
  • Lin, Yongjia

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of green financial policy on corporate risk-taking, based on data from China's A-share listed companies during 2012–2020. Exploiting a quasi-natural experiment in China, the Green Financial Reform and Innovation Pilot Zones (GFRIPZ), we find that green financial policy has a positive effect on corporate risk-taking. Our analysis shows that the primary effect operates through two channels: reducing agency costs and alleviating financial constraints. The increase in risk-taking is particularly pronounced among companies with low R&D investment and poor ESG performance. This research provides insights for designing more effective environmental programs in emerging economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Deng, Hong & Li, You & Lin, Yongjia, 2023. "Green financial policy and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:58:y:2023:i:pb:s1544612323007535
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.104381
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612323007535
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104381?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. Gustavo Manso, 2011. "Motivating Innovation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(5), pages 1823-1860, October.
    2. Shi, Jinyan & Yu, Conghui & Li, Yanxi & Wang, Tianhe, 2022. "Does green financial policy affect debt-financing cost of heavy-polluting enterprises? An empirical evidence based on Chinese pilot zones for green finance reform and innovations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    3. He, Feng & Ding, Cong & Yue, Wei & Liu, Guanchun, 2023. "ESG performance and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    4. Peng, Wei & Xiong, Langyu, 2022. "Managing financing costs and fostering green transition: The role of green financial policy in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 820-836.
    5. Mara Faccio & Maria-Teresa Marchica & Roberto Mura, 2011. "Large Shareholder Diversification and Corporate Risk-Taking," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(11), pages 3601-3641.
    6. Low, Angie, 2009. "Managerial risk-taking behavior and equity-based compensation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(3), pages 470-490, June.
    7. Banerjee, Rajabrata & Gupta, Kartick, 2017. "The effects of environmental sustainability and R&D on corporate risk-taking: International evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1-15.
    8. Kose John & Lubomir Litov & Bernard Yeung, 2008. "Corporate Governance and Risk‐Taking," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(4), pages 1679-1728, August.
    9. Lee, Chi-Chuan & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2022. "How does green finance affect green total factor productivity? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    10. Liu, Xiaoling & Wu, Yuhui & Zhang, Huan, 2023. "Collateral-based monetary policy and corporate employment: Evidence from Medium-term Lending Facility in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    11. Dongwei Su & Shulin Xu & Zefeng Tong, 2023. "Credit availability and corporate risk-taking: evidence from China’s green credit policy," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 236-270, April.
    12. Di Giuli, Alberta & Laux, Paul A., 2022. "The effect of media-linked directors on financing and external governance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(2), pages 103-131.
    13. Froot, Kenneth A & Scharfstein, David S & Stein, Jeremy C, 1993. "Risk Management: Coordinating Corporate Investment and Financing Policies," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 48(5), pages 1629-1658, December.
    14. J. Bradford De Long & Lawrence H. Summers, 1991. "Equipment Investment and Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 445-502.
    15. Lv, Chengchao & Bian, Baocheng & Lee, Chien-Chiang & He, Zhiwen, 2021. "Regional gap and the trend of green finance development in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    16. Yu, Chin-Hsien & Wu, Xiuqin & Zhang, Dayong & Chen, Shi & Zhao, Jinsong, 2021. "Demand for green finance: Resolving financing constraints on green innovation in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    17. Zhu, Danyu & Gao, Xin & Luo, Zijun & Xu, Weidong, 2022. "Environmental performance and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    18. 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).
    19. Koirala, Santosh & Marshall, Andrew & Neupane, Suman & Thapa, Chandra, 2020. "Corporate governance reform and risk-taking: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in an emerging market," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    20. Zhang, Wenzhe & Liu, Guangqiang, 2023. "Digitalization and firm centralization: A quasi-natural experiment based on the “Broadband China” policy," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    21. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    22. René M. Stulz, 2015. "Risk-Taking and Risk Management by Banks," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 27(1), pages 8-18, March.
    23. Boubakri, Narjess & Cosset, Jean-Claude & Saffar, Walid, 2013. "The role of state and foreign owners in corporate risk-taking: Evidence from privatization," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(3), pages 641-658.
    24. Wen, Fenghua & Li, Cui & Sha, Han & Shao, Liuguo, 2021. "How does economic policy uncertainty affect corporate risk-taking? Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    25. Nakano, Makoto & Nguyen, Pascal, 2012. "Board size and corporate risk-taking: Further evidence from Japan," MPRA Paper 38990, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    26. Huang, Wei & Jiang, Fuxiu & Liu, Zhibiao & Zhang, Min, 2011. "Agency cost, top executives' overconfidence, and investment-cash flow sensitivity -- Evidence from listed companies in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 261-277, June.
    27. Xing, Chao & Zhang, Yuming & Tripe, David, 2021. "Green credit policy and corporate access to bank loans in China: The role of environmental disclosure and green innovation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    28. Tian, Guangning & Li, Bo & Cheng, Yue, 2022. "Does digital transformation matter for corporate risk-taking?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    29. Wang, Jie & Wang, Wanwan & Yuan, Fang, 2023. "Air pollution and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 570-586.
    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. Yin, Libo & Lu, Man, 2022. "Oil uncertainty and firms' risk-taking," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    2. Jiang, Tianjiao & Levine, Ross & Lin, Chen & Wei, Lai, 2020. "Bank deregulation and corporate risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    3. Xiaodong Teng & Kun-Shan Wu & Lopin Kuo & Bao-Guang Chang, 2023. "Investigating the double-edged sword effect of environmental, social and governance practices on corporate risk-taking in the high-tech industry," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 14(2), pages 511-549, June.
    4. Chen, Shen & Chen, Yuran & Zhang, Di & Wang, Jinmei, 2023. "Can minority investor activism promote corporate risk-taking? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    5. Sabri Boubaker & Pascal Nguyen & Wael Rouatbi, 2016. "Multiple Large Shareholders and Corporate Risk†taking: Evidence from French Family Firms," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 22(4), pages 697-745, September.
    6. Liu, Wenjun & Lin, Guoyu & He, Qian, 2024. "Enhanced management information disclosure responsibilities and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from the accountability system for errors in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PB), pages 511-531.
    7. Xiao, Jihong & Chen, Xian & Li, Yang & Wen, Fenghua, 2022. "Oil price uncertainty and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    8. Henrique Castro Martins, 2020. "The Brazilian bankruptcy law reform, corporate ownership concentration, and risk‐taking," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(4), pages 562-573, June.
    9. Sultan Sikandar Mirza & Raheel Safdar & Yan Yu & M. Awais Gulzar, 2019. "Managerial Empowerment and Firm Risk-Taking," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(2), pages 21582440198, June.
    10. Zhu, Danyu & Gao, Xin & Luo, Zijun & Xu, Weidong, 2022. "Environmental performance and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    11. Wang, Jie & Wang, Wanwan & Yuan, Fang, 2023. "Air pollution and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 570-586.
    12. Imhof, Michael J. & Seavey, Scott E., 2014. "Corporate risk-taking, firm value and high levels of managerial earnings forecasts," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 328-337.
    13. Xing, Lu & Han, DongHao & Hui, Xie, 2023. "The impact of carbon policy on corporate risk-taking with a double/debiased machine learning based difference-in-differences approach," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    14. Dorra Ellouze & Khadija Mnasri, 2019. "Risk-taking behaviour of family firms: evidence from Tunisia," Post-Print hal-02999642, HAL.
    15. Sun, Zixiong & Anderson, Hamish & Chi, Jing, 2023. "Managerial foreign experience and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    16. Caixe, Daniel Ferreira, 2022. "Corporate governance and investment sensitivity to policy uncertainty in Brazil," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(PB).
    17. Aman, Hiroyuki & Nguyen, Pascal, 2013. "Does good governance matter to debtholders? Evidence from the credit ratings of Japanese firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 14-34.
    18. Chang, Jeffery (Jinfan) & Meng, Qingbin & Ni, Xiaoran, 2022. "A tale of riskiness: The real effects of share pledging on the Chinese stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    19. Cao, Yue & Dong, Yizhe & Ma, Diandian & Sun, Li, 2021. "Customer concentration and corporate risk-taking," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    20. He, Feng & Ding, Cong & Yue, Wei & Liu, Guanchun, 2023. "ESG performance and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Green finance policy; Green financial reform and innovation pilot zones (GFRIPZ); Corporate risk-taking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development

    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:eee:finlet:v:58:y:2023:i:pb:s1544612323007535. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    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.