Environmental regulation and the cost of bank loans: International evidence

Amirhossein Fard, Siamak Javadi and Incheol Kim

Journal of Financial Stability, 2020, vol. 51, issue C

Abstract: Using a sample of 27 countries between 1990 and 2014, we find that banks charge higher interest rates and adjust other contractual features of their loans when lending to firms facing more stringent environmental regulations. Our evidence suggests that lenders’ concerns about the increase in environmental liabilities resulting from regulations is driving the results. Specifically, we show that firms facing such regulations have fewer participants in their loan syndicates, higher bankruptcy risk, and lower credit ratings, despite reducing their leverage. Overall, our results indicate that the observed higher loan spread is the result of environmentally sensitive lending practices by banks.

Keywords: Environmental regulations; Business risk; Bank loan contracting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G21 G32 Q51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (43)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:finsta:v:51:y:2020:i:c:s1572308920300966

DOI: 10.1016/j.jfs.2020.100797

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