IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i2p726-d1569704.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economic Policy Uncertainty and Corporate Green Technology Innovation—Evidence from Privately Listed Companies in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yiran Song

    (School of Business, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China)

  • Ying Wang

    (School of Business, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China)

  • Yuting Zhang

    (School of Business, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China)

  • Nan Lu

    (School of Business, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China)

  • Chunbao Ge

    (Hefei Advanced Research Institute, School of International Trade and Economics, Anhui University of Finance & Economics, Hefei 230071, China)

Abstract

Green technology innovation (GTI) is an important way for enterprises to promote technological progress and enhance their market competitiveness. As investment in R and D and innovation is a high-risk, long-term investment project with high sensitivity to relevant policies, increases or drastic fluctuations in economic policy uncertainty (EPU) may have a strong impact on technological innovation. Therefore, it is necessary to examine how EPU affects GTI. In contrast to studies that have focused on the impacts of EPU on GTI in developed countries or state-owned firms in China, this study uses the mediating effect panel fixed effect model to investigate the impacts of EPU on corporate GTI and its mechanisms, based on data from China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share private manufacturing listed companies from 2013 to 2022. The results indicate that an increase in EPU has a positive impact on the GTI of private enterprises and that the impact is stronger in companies with multiple major shareholders, those purchasing directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, and those with stricter environmental regulations. This conclusion remains valid after robustness checks and instrumental variable tests. Mechanism tests reveal that the increase in EPU indirectly promotes GTI by forcing private enterprises to avoid short-sighted management tendencies, increase risk-taking levels, boost environmental protection investments, and strengthen internal controls. For example, EPU will lead to increased investment in green protection, meaning that private companies are more willing to promote green transformation and market competitiveness through innovative activities. These findings provide a reference for the Chinese government to formulate targeted environmental regulation policies and financing policies to guide the green transformation of businesses; they also provide insights for enterprises in other developing countries to cope with economic policy risks and promote green technological advancement.

Suggested Citation

  • Yiran Song & Ying Wang & Yuting Zhang & Nan Lu & Chunbao Ge, 2025. "Economic Policy Uncertainty and Corporate Green Technology Innovation—Evidence from Privately Listed Companies in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:726-:d:1569704
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/726/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/726/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Geng, Yini & Zheng, Zhiqiang & Ma, Yongjian, 2023. "Digitization, perception of policy uncertainty, and corporate green innovation: A study from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 544-557.
    2. Scott R. Baker & Nicholas Bloom & Steven J. Davis, 2016. "Measuring Economic Policy Uncertainty," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(4), pages 1593-1636.
    3. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1986. "Large Shareholders and Corporate Control," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(3), pages 461-488, June.
    4. Nicholas Bloom, 2009. "The Impact of Uncertainty Shocks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(3), pages 623-685, May.
    5. Cui, Xin & Wang, Chunfeng & Sensoy, Ahmet & Liao, Jing & Xie, Xiaochen, 2023. "Economic policy uncertainty and green innovation: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    6. Al-Thaqeb, Saud Asaad & Algharabali, Barrak Ghanim, 2019. "Economic policy uncertainty: A literature review," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).
    7. Bernanke, Ben & Gertler, Mark, 1989. "Agency Costs, Net Worth, and Business Fluctuations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(1), pages 14-31, March.
    8. Shin, Hyun-Han & Park, Young S., 1999. "Financing constraints and internal capital markets: Evidence from Korean 'chaebols'," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 169-191, June.
    9. Li, Zhenghui & Huang, Zimei & Su, Yaya, 2023. "New media environment, environmental regulation and corporate green technology innovation:Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    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. Bilal Haider Subhani & Umar Farooq & M. Ishaq Bhatti & Muhammad Asif Khan, 2021. "Economic Policy Uncertainty, National Culture, and Corporate Debt Financing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-15, October.
    2. Glebocki, Helena & Saha, Sujata, 2024. "Global uncertainty and exchange rate conditions: Assessing the impact of uncertainty shocks in emerging markets and advanced economies," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    3. Mario Forni & Luca Gambetti & Nicolò Maffei-Faccioli & Luca Sala, 2023. "The impact of financial shocks on the forecast distribution of output and inflation," Working Paper 2023/3, Norges Bank.
    4. Hideaki Hirata & M. Ayhan Kose & Christopher Otrok & Marco E Terrones, 2013. "Global House Price Fluctuations: Synchronization and Determinants," NBER International Seminar on Macroeconomics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(1), pages 119-166.
    5. Ma, Yong & Wang, Mengyuan, 2024. "Monetary policy shock and corporate innovation: Evidence from China," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 48(3).
    6. Umar Farooq & Mohammad Mahtab Alam & Bilal Haider Subhani & Mosab I. Tabash & Zilola Shamansurova, 2024. "Non-Linear Effects of Economic Policy Uncertainty on Green Innovation: Evidence from BRICS Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-21, November.
    7. Oliver E. Ogbonna & Jonathan E. Ogbuabor & Charles O. Manasseh & Davidmac O. Ekeocha, 2022. "Global uncertainty, economic governance institutions and foreign direct investment inflow in Africa," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 2111-2136, November.
    8. Abiodun Moses Adetokunbo & Afe Success Mevhare, 2024. "The interconnectivity between green stocks, oil prices, and uncertainty surrounding economic policy: indications from the United States," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 1-26, February.
    9. Hong, Yun & Zhang, Rushan & Zhang, Feipeng, 2024. "Time-varying causality impact of economic policy uncertainty on stock market returns: Global evidence from developed and emerging countries," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    10. Whelsy Boungou & Charles Mawusi, 2021. "Economic Policy Uncertainty and Banks' Interest Income: Empirical Evidence from an International Panel Dataset," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(3), pages 2003-2011.
    11. Zhou, Yuqin & Liu, Zhenhua & Wu, Shan, 2022. "The global economic policy uncertainty spillover analysis: In the background of COVID-19 pandemic," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    12. Dash, Saumya Ranjan & Maitra, Debasish, 2021. "Do oil and gas prices influence economic policy uncertainty differently: Multi-country evidence using time-frequency approach," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 397-420.
    13. Adediran, Idris A. & Swaray, Raymond, 2023. "Carbon trading amidst global uncertainty: The role of policy and geopolitical uncertainty," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    14. Haining Chen & Prince Asare Vitenu-Sackey & Isaac Akpemah Bathuure, 2024. "Uncertainty Measures and Business Cycles: Evidence From the US," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, April.
    15. Ito, Asei & Lim, Jaehwan & Zhang, Hongyong, 2023. "Catching the political leader's signal: Economic policy uncertainty and firm investment in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    16. Caixe, Daniel Ferreira, 2022. "Corporate governance and investment sensitivity to policy uncertainty in Brazil," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(PB).
    17. Lai, Fujun & Xiong, Deping & Zhu, Sha & Li, Yunzhong & Tan, Yanzhi, 2023. "Will geopolitical risks only inhibit corporate investment? Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    18. Ijaz Younis & Himani Gupta & Waheed Ullah Shah & Arshian Sharif & Xuan Tang, 2024. "The Effects of Economic Uncertainty and Trade Policy Uncertainty on Industry-Specific Stock Markets Equity," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 64(5), pages 2909-2933, November.
    19. Siamak Javadi & Ali Nejadmalayeri & Timothy L Krehbiel, 2018. "Do FOMC Actions Speak Loudly? Evidence from Corporate Bond Credit Spreads [Communication and monetary policy]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 22(5), pages 1877-1909.
    20. Iván Alfaro & Nicholas Bloom & Xiaoji Lin, 2024. "The Finance Uncertainty Multiplier," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(2), pages 577-615.

    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:17:y:2025:i:2:p:726-:d:1569704. 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.