IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v62y2024ipbs1544612324002794.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Local environmental goal constraint intensity and corporate ESG performance: An empirical observation based on China

Author

Listed:
  • Xu, Xiaoying
  • Jin, Mei
  • Gong, Xinshu

Abstract

Improving Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance has become an important international standard for measuring green and sustainable corporate development. This paper empirically finds that increasing local environmental goal constraint intensity significantly improves the ESG performance of heavy polluters based on data from Chinese A-share heavily polluting companies from 2012 to 2021. Mechanism analysis suggests that imposing local environmental goal constraints can improve ESG performance by promoting the development of green technological innovation and increasing media attention. This effect is more evident in non-state-owned, high-market value pressure companies, and cities with lower fiscal revenues and more industrial output in GDP. These findings hold significant implications for policymakers who seek to propose more effective incentive strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu, Xiaoying & Jin, Mei & Gong, Xinshu, 2024. "Local environmental goal constraint intensity and corporate ESG performance: An empirical observation based on China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:62:y:2024:i:pb:s1544612324002794
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2024.105249
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612324002794
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2024.105249?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. Guo, Mengmeng & Wang, Huixin & Kuai, Yicheng, 2023. "Environmental regulation and green innovation: Evidence from heavily polluting firms in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    2. Guo, Bingnan & Feng, Yu & Lin, Ji, 2023. "Digital inclusive finance and digital transformation of enterprises," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    3. R. H. Coase, 2013. "The Problem of Social Cost," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(4), pages 837-877.
    4. Hering, Laura & Poncet, Sandra, 2014. "Environmental policy and exports: Evidence from Chinese cities," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 296-318.
    5. Yu, Yongze & Li, Ke & Duan, Shenglan & Song, Chenchen, 2023. "Economic growth and environmental pollution in China: New evidence from government work reports," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    6. Farooq, Umar & Wen, Jun & Tabash, Mosab I. & Fadoul, Modawi, 2024. "Environmental regulations and capital investment: Does green innovation allow to grow?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 878-893.
    7. Zhang, Pan & Zhou, Danping & Guo, Junhua, 2023. "Policy complementary or policy crowding-out? Effects of cross-instrumental policy mix on green innovation in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    8. Syed Abdul Rehman Khan & Arshian Sharif & Hêriş Golpîra & Anil Kumar, 2019. "A green ideology in Asian emerging economies: From environmental policy and sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(6), pages 1063-1075, November.
    9. Narula, Radhika & Rao, Purnima & Kumar, Satish & Matta, Rahul, 2024. "ESG scores and firm performance- evidence from emerging market," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 1170-1184.
    10. Lian, Yonghui & Ye, Tao & Zhang, Yiyang & Zhang, Lin, 2023. "How does corporate ESG performance affect bond credit spreads: Empirical evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 352-371.
    11. Luo, Chunhua & Wei, Dianlong & He, Feng, 2023. "Corporate ESG performance and trade credit financing – Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 337-351.
    12. Yan, Xinjie, 2023. "Media attention, urban environmental regulation and corporate environmental responsibility," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    13. Fang, Zhenming & Kong, Xiaoran & Sensoy, Ahmet & Cui, Xin & Cheng, Feiyang, 2021. "Government’s awareness of Environmental protection and corporate green innovation: A natural experiment from the new environmental protection law in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 294-312.
    14. Li, Hao & Zhang, Xuan & Zhao, Yang, 2022. "ESG and Firm's Default Risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    15. Cain, Matthew D. & McKeon, Stephen B., 2016. "CEO Personal Risk-Taking and Corporate Policies," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 51(1), pages 139-164, February.
    16. Zhou, Yacheng & Huo, Weidong & Bo, Lan & Chen, Xiaoxian, 2023. "Impact and mechanism analysis of ESG ratings on the efficiency of green technology innovation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    17. Zhang, Wenqiu & Zhao, Junli, 2023. "Digital transformation, environmental disclosure, and environmental performance: An examination based on listed companies in heavy-pollution industries in China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 505-518.
    18. Chai, Shanglei & Cao, Mengjun & Li, Qiang & Ji, Qiang & Liu, Zuankuo, 2023. "Exploring the nexus between ESG disclosure and corporate sustainable growth: Moderating role of media attention," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    19. Yanru Li & Guanglin Sun & Qiang Gao & Changming Cheng, 2023. "Digital Financial Inclusion, Financial Efficiency and Green Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-13, 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. Wang, Guancheng & Feng, Xun & Tian, Li Grace & Tu, Yongqian, 2024. "Environmental regulation, green technology innovation and enterprise performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Shi, Hongyu & Zhou, Qun, 2024. "Government R&D Subsidies, Environmental regulation and corporate green innovation performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 69(PB).
    3. Tian, Zengrui & Zhu, Bingsheng & Lu, Yuzhong, 2023. "The governance of non-state shareholders and corporate ESG: Empirical evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    4. Jiamin Liu & Xiaoyu Ma & Bin Zhao & Qi Cui & Sisi Zhang & Jiaoning Zhang, 2023. "Mandatory Environmental Regulation, Enterprise Labor Demand and Green Innovation Transformation: A Quasi-Experiment from China’s New Environmental Protection Law," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-31, July.
    5. Wang, Muyun & Zhang, Ying, 2024. "Controlling shareholders' equity pledge, litigation risk and corporate ESG performance," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    6. Zhang, Dongyang & Kong, Qunxi, 2022. "Renewable energy policy, green investment, and sustainability of energy firms," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 118-133.
    7. Guo, Bingnan & Hu, Peiji & Lin, Ji, 2024. "The effect of digital infrastructure development on enterprise green transformation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    8. Zhang, Ge & Guo, Bingnan & Lin, Ji, 2023. "The impact of green finance on enterprise investment and financing," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    9. Ying Zhang & Shouming Chen & Yujia Li & Disney Leite Ramos, 2024. "Does Environmental Protection Law Bring about Greenwashing? Evidence from Heavy-Polluting Firms in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-20, February.
    10. Wang, Zhen & Chu, Erming & Hao, Yukai, 2024. "Towards sustainable development: How does ESG performance promotes corporate green transformation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    11. Yu, Lianchao & Liu, Donghui & Liu, Qiang & Han, Hongling, 2025. "De-localization of environmental governance and corporate innovation structure: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PA).
    12. Qiao, Penghua & Zhao, Yuying & Fung, Anna & Fung, Hung-Gay, 2025. "How digital leadership guides ESG sustainability," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PB).
    13. Li, Pingrui & Zhao, Xu, 2024. "The impact of digital transformation on corporate supply chain management: Evidence from listed companies," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    14. Hong, Qianqian & Cui, Linhao & Hong, Penghui, 2022. "The impact of carbon emissions trading on energy efficiency: Evidence from quasi-experiment in China's carbon emissions trading pilot," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    15. Yanzhao Li & Ju-e Guo & Wenjun Zhu, 2024. "Digital financial inclusion and domestic tourism demand: Through the lens of spatial spillover," Tourism Economics, , vol. 30(7), pages 1680-1703, November.
    16. Hong, Weiming & Luo, Jingwen & Du, Yu, 2024. "Impact of green finance on hydropower investments: A perspective of environmental law," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 69(PB).
    17. Bagh, Tanveer & Zhou, Bingjun & Alawi, Suha Mahmoud & Azam, Rauf I, 2024. "ESG resilience: Exploring the non-linear effects of ESG performance on firms sustainable growth," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PA).
    18. Eskantar, Marianna & Zopounidis, Constantin & Doumpos, Michalis & Galariotis, Emilios & Guesmi, Khaled, 2024. "Navigating ESG complexity: An in-depth analysis of sustainability criteria, frameworks, and impact assessment," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PA).
    19. Shichun Du & Jing Liu & Zetian Fu, 2021. "The Impact of Village Rules and Formal Environmental Regulations on Farmers’ Cleaner Production Behavior: New Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-20, July.
    20. Yu, Haiyan & Su, Tao, 2024. "ESG performance and corporate solvency," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).

    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:62:y:2024:i:pb:s1544612324002794. 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.