IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i8p2607-d159882.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

ESG and Corporate Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence from China’s Listed Power Generation Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Changhong Zhao

    (School of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China)

  • Yu Guo

    (School of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China)

  • Jiahai Yuan

    (School of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
    Beijing Key Laboratory of New Energy and Low-Carbon Development, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China)

  • Mengya Wu

    (School of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China)

  • Daiyu Li

    (School of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China)

  • Yiou Zhou

    (School of Foreign Languages, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China)

  • Jiangang Kang

    (School of Foreign Languages, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China)

Abstract

Nowadays, listed companies around the world are shifting from short-term goals of maximizing profits to long-term sustainable environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. People have come to realize that ESG has become an important source of the corporate risk and may affect the company’s financial performance and profitability. Recent research shows that good ESG performance could improve the financial performance in some countries. Yet, the question of “how does ESG affect financial performance” has not been thoroughly discussed and studied in China. In this article, we study China’s listed power generation groups to explore the relationship between ESG performance and financial indicators in the energy power market based on the panel regression model. The results show that good ESG performance can indeed improve financial performance, which has significant meanings for investors, company management, decisionmakers, and industry regulators.

Suggested Citation

  • Changhong Zhao & Yu Guo & Jiahai Yuan & Mengya Wu & Daiyu Li & Yiou Zhou & Jiangang Kang, 2018. "ESG and Corporate Financial Performance: Empirical Evidence from China’s Listed Power Generation Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2607-:d:159882
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2607/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/8/2607/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Emiel Duuren & Auke Plantinga & Bert Scholtens, 2016. "ESG Integration and the Investment Management Process: Fundamental Investing Reinvented," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 138(3), pages 525-533, October.
    2. Yuan, Jiahai & Li, Peng & Wang, Yang & Liu, Qian & Shen, Xinyi & Zhang, Kai & Dong, Liansai, 2016. "Coal power overcapacity and investment bubble in China during 2015–2020," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 136-144.
    3. Ait Sidhoum, Amer & Serra, Teresa, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility and dimensions of performance: An application to U.S. electric utilities," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 1-11.
    4. Shidi Dong & Lei Xu, 2016. "The impact of explicit CSR regulation: evidence from China’s mining firms," Journal of Applied Accounting Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 17(2), pages 237-258, May.
    5. Kais Bouslah & Lawrence Kryzanowski & Bouchra M’Zali, 2018. "Social Performance and Firm Risk: Impact of the Financial Crisis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 643-669, May.
    6. Gunther Capelle-Blancard & Aurélien Petit, 2019. "Every Little Helps? ESG News and Stock Market Reaction," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(2), pages 543-565, June.
    7. Dongyoung Lee, 2017. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Management Forecast Accuracy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 140(2), pages 353-367, January.
    8. Crifo, Patricia & Diaye, Marc-Arthur & Oueghlissi, Rim, 2017. "The effect of countries’ ESG ratings on their sovereign borrowing costs," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 13-20.
    9. Arcos, Angel & de Toledo, Pablo Alvarez, 2009. "An analysis of the Spanish electrical utility industry: Economies of scale, technological progress and efficiency," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 473-481, May.
    10. Yuan, Jiahai & Xu, Yan & Hu, Zheng & Zhao, Changhong & Xiong, Minpeng & Guo, Jingsheng, 2014. "Peak energy consumption and CO2 emissions in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 508-523.
    11. Remmer Sassen & Anne-Kathrin Hinze & Inga Hardeck, 2016. "Impact of ESG factors on firm risk in Europe," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 86(8), pages 867-904, November.
    12. Zhao, Changhong & Zhang, Weirong & Wang, Yang & Liu, Qilin & Guo, Jingsheng & Xiong, Minpeng & Yuan, Jiahai, 2017. "The economics of coal power generation in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 1-9.
    13. Al-Tuwaijri, Sulaiman A. & Christensen, Theodore E. & Hughes, K. II, 2004. "The relations among environmental disclosure, environmental performance, and economic performance: a simultaneous equations approach," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 29(5-6), pages 447-471.
    14. Auer, Benjamin R. & Schuhmacher, Frank, 2016. "Do socially (ir)responsible investments pay? New evidence from international ESG data," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 51-62.
    15. Wirth, Herbert & Kulczycka, Joanna & Hausner, Jerzy & Koński, Maciej, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Communication about social and environmental disclosure by large and small copper mining companies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 53-60.
    16. Charles H. Cho & Giovanna Michelon & Dennis M. Patten & Robin W. Roberts, 2015. "CSR disclosure: the more things change…?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 28(1), pages 14-35, January.
    17. Rose, Caspar, 2016. "Firm performance and comply or explain disclosure in corporate governance," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 202-222.
    18. Wen Wen & Jianbo Song, 2017. "Can returnee managers promote CSR performance? Evidence from China," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-26, December.
    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. Yan Xu & Junjie Kang & Jiahai Yuan, 2018. "The Prospective of Nuclear Power in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Wang, Delu & Wan, Kaidi & Song, Xuefeng, 2020. "Understanding coal miners’ livelihood vulnerability to declining coal demand: Negative impact and coping strategies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    3. Xiaoling Yu & Kaitian Xiao, 2022. "Does ESG Performance Affect Firm Value? Evidence from a New ESG-Scoring Approach for Chinese Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-40, December.
    4. Jiahai Yuan & Mengya Wu & Weirong Zhang & Yu Guo & Minpeng Xiong, 2018. "Coal Power Environmental Stress Testing in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Milagros Vivel-Búa & Rubén Lado-Sestayo & Andrea Martínez-Salgueiro & Mariana Díaz-Ballesteros, 2024. "Environmental, social, and governance perfomance and default risk in the eurozone," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(10), pages 2953-2980, October.
    6. Fabio Korinth & Rainer Lueg, 2022. "Corporate Sustainability and Risk Management—The U-Shaped Relationships of Disaggregated ESG Rating Scores and Risk in the German Capital Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, May.
    7. Haonan Zhang & Xingping Zhang & Jiahai Yuan, 2020. "Coal power in China: A multi‐level perspective review," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(6), November.
    8. Luigi Aldieri & Alessandra Amendola & Vincenzo Candila, 2023. "The Impact of ESG Scores on Risk Market Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, April.
    9. Florian Kiesel & Felix Lücke, 2019. "ESG in credit ratings and the impact on financial markets," Financial Markets, Institutions & Instruments, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(3), pages 263-290, August.
    10. Lu Zhang & Yuan George Shan & Millicent Chang, 2021. "Can CSR Disclosure Protect Firm Reputation During Financial Restatements?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(1), pages 157-184, September.
    11. Muneer Shaik & Mohd Ziaur Rehman, 2023. "The Dynamic Volatility Connectedness of Major Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Stock Indices: Evidence Based on DCC-GARCH Model," Asia-Pacific Financial Markets, Springer;Japanese Association of Financial Economics and Engineering, vol. 30(1), pages 231-246, March.
    12. Eng, Li Li & Fikru, Mahelet G. & Vichitsarawong, Thanyaluk, 2021. "The impact of toxic chemical releases and their management on financial performance," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    13. V. Veeravel & E. K. S. Sadharma & Bandi Kamaiah, 2024. "Do ESG disclosures lead to superior firm performance? A method of moments panel quantile regression approach," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 741-754, January.
    14. Shakil, Mohammad Hassan, 2021. "Environmental, social and governance performance and financial risk: Moderating role of ESG controversies and board gender diversity," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    15. Zhao, Changhong & Zhang, Weirong & Wang, Yang & Liu, Qilin & Guo, Jingsheng & Xiong, Minpeng & Yuan, Jiahai, 2017. "The economics of coal power generation in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 1-9.
    16. Wenbing Luo & Ziyan Tian & Xusheng Fang & Mingjun Deng, 2024. "Can good ESG performance reduce stock price crash risk? Evidence from Chinese listed companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 1469-1492, May.
    17. Teplova, Tamara & Sokolova, Tatiana & Kissa, David, 2023. "Revealing stock liquidity determinants by means of explainable AI: The role of ESG before and during the COVID-19 pandemic," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    18. Yuan, Jiahai & Wang, Yang & Zhang, Weirong & Zhao, Changhong & Liu, Qian & Shen, Xinyi & Zhang, Kai & Dong, Liansai, 2017. "Will recent boom in coal power lead to a bust in China? A micro-economic analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 645-656.
    19. Al-Fakir Al Rabab’a, Eltayyeb & Rashid, Afzalur & Shams, Syed & Bose, Sudipta, 2024. "Corporate carbon performance and firm risk: Evidence from Asia-Pacific countries," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(2).
    20. Syed Hassan Jamil & Majid Jamal Khan, 2024. "Do corporate environmental protection efforts reduce firm‐level operating risk? Evidence from a developing country," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4480-4492, July.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2607-:d:159882. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.