Climate policy uncertainty and firm-level total factor productivity: Evidence from China
Xiaohang Ren,
Xiao Zhang,
Cheng Yan and
Giray Gözgör
Energy Economics, 2022, vol. 113, issue C
Abstract:
Using 2605 Chinese A-share listed companies in the mining, manufacturing, and energy production and supply sectors from 2009 to 2020, we examine the relationship between climate policy uncertainty (CPU) and firm-level total factor productivity (TFP). The main findings are as follows: First, CPU significantly reduces firm-level TFP, with a greater impact on low-productivity firms than on high-productivity firms; second, the negative effect of CPU on firm-level TFP is most pronounced for non-state-owned, labor-intensive, and capital-intensive companies; third, CPU hinders research and development investment and reduces the amount of free cash flow. These results indicate that CPU exerts negative impacts on firm-level TFP mainly via its effects on the capital status of the companies. Our findings remain valid after a series of robustness tests and controlling for endogeneity. The government should introduce forward-looking climate policies to reduce the negative impact of policy uncertainty.
Keywords: Climate policy uncertainty; Climate change; Total factor productivity; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (114)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:113:y:2022:i:c:s0140988322003577
DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2022.106209
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