The Impact of Green Finance on Regional Total Factor Productivity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62177/apemr.v3i3.1323Keywords:
Green Finance, Total Factor Productivity, Stochastic Frontier Analysis, Sustainable DevelopmentAbstract
Guided by the dual carbon goals of peaking emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, Guangdong Province, as the vanguard of China's reform and opening-up, offers valuable green finance development experiences that are of reference significance for South China and nationwide. Utilizing panel data from 21 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong (2000-2019), this study employs the entropy method and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to calculate a city-level Green Finance Development Index (GF) and Total Factor Productivity Change (TFPC). A two-way fixed effects panel model is then applied to empirically analyze the impact mechanisms of green finance on regional productivity. By decomposing total factor productivity into technological progress (TC), technical efficiency change (TEC), scale efficiency change (SC), and allocative efficiency change (AEC), the research delves into the operational pathways of green finance. Results show its complex, multidimensional effects: while it limits technical and scale efficiency, it significantly enhances technological progress and resource allocation efficiency.
Downloads
References
Alawi, S. M., Abbassi, W., Saqib, R., & Sharif, M. (2022). Impact of financial innovation and institutional quality on financial development in emerging markets. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 15(3), 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm15030115
Al-Yahya, S. N. (2022). The COVID-19 pandemic uncertainty, investor sentiment, and global equity markets: Evidence from the time-frequency co-movements. The North American Journal of Economics and Finance.
Aslam, B., Zhang, G., Amjad, M. A., Guo, S., & Ji, M. (2023). Does the impact of financial development reinforce sustainability ecological footprint? Fresh evidence from middle and high-income economies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 429. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139573
Battese, C. E., & Coelli, T. J. (1992). Frontier production functions, technical efficiency, and panel data: With application to paddy farmers in India. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 3(1-2), 153-169. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158774
Chavriya, S., Sharma, G. D., & Mahendru, M. (2024). Financial inclusion as a tool for sustainable macroeconomic growth: An integrative analysis. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 95(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/apce.12427
De Haas, R., & Popov, A. (2023). Finance and green growth. The Economic Journal, 133(650), 637-668. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ej/ueac081
Falcone, P. M. (2020). Environmental regulation and green investments: The role of green finance. International Journal of Green Economics, 14(2), 159-173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJGE.2020.109735
Goldstein, I., Koijen, R. S. J., & Mueller, H. M. (2021). COVID-19 and its impact on financial markets and the real economy. The Review of Financial Studies, 34(11), 5135-5148. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhab085
Gu, B., Chen, F., & Zhang, K. (2021). The policy effect of green finance in promoting industrial transformation and upgrading efficiency in China: Analysis from the perspective of government regulation and public environmental demands. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 47474–47491. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13944-0
Guo, J., Zhang, K., & Liu, K. (2022). Exploring the mechanism of the impact of green finance and digital economy on China’s green total factor productivity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23), 16303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316303
Guo, X., Yang, J., Shen, Y., & Zhang, X. (2024). Impact of green finance and environmental regulation on carbon emissions: Evidence from China. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1307313. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1307313
He, L., Zhong, T., & Gan, S. (2022). Green finance and corporate environmental responsibility: Evidence from heavily polluting listed enterprises in China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29, 74081–74096. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21065-5
Hou, H., Chen, M., & Zhang, M. (2023). Study on high energy-consuming industrial agglomeration, green finance, and carbon emission. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30, 29300–29320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24228-6
Hu, K., Kuang, W., & Qin, Q. (2024). Advancing resource efficiency through renewable energy, green innovations, and education: Lessons from G20 economies. Journal of the Knowledge Economy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-02334-9
Kirci Altinkeski, B., Cevik, E. I., & Dibooglu, S. (2022). Investor sentiments and stock markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial Innovation, 8, Article number: 69. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40854-022-00375-0
Kumbhakar, S. C., & Lovell, C. A. K. (2000). Stochastic frontier analysis. Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139174411
Lei, H., Gao, R., Ning, C., & Sun, G. (2024). Impact of green finance on regional green innovation performance. Sustainability, 16(23), 10519. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310519
Leibenstein, H. (1966). "A-efficiency" vs "X-efficiency." International Economic Review, 7(2), 56.
Li, J., & Zhang, L. (2023). Green innovation and consumer demand for sustainable products: Evidence from China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 354.
Lin, G., Lam, J. F. I., Shi, Y., Chen, H., & Chen, H. (2023). Revisiting the linkage between green finance and China’s sustainable development: Evidence from the pilot zones for green finance reform innovations. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11, 1264434. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1264434
Liu, W., & Zhu, P. (2024). The impact of green finance on the intensity and efficiency of carbon emissions: The moderating effect of the digital economy. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1362932. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1362932
Luo, Q., & Wang, J. (2024). Digital finance and green technology innovation: A dual path test based on market and government. Finance Research Letters, 70, 106283. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2024.106283
Maltais, A., & Nykvist, B. (2021). Understanding the role of green bonds in advancing sustainability. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 11(3), 233-252.
Matteo, P., Graziana, G., Matilda, S., et al. (2023). Green finance: Past, present and future studies. Journal of Financial Management, Markets and Institutions, 11(02).
Oliveira, H., Moutinho, V. F., & Afonso, O. (2024). Exploring the relationship between technological progress, human capital, political uncertainty, energy consumption, and economic growth: Evidence from a panel data analysis. Journal of Knowledge Economy. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-02431-9
Palmaccio, M., Galeone, G., Shini, M., & Campobasso, F. (2023). Green finance: Past, present and future studies. Journal of Financial Management, Markets and Institutions (JFMMI), 11(02), 1-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/S2282717X23500135
Rasoulinezhad, E., & Taghizadeh-Hesary, F. (2022). Role of green finance in improving energy efficiency and renewable energy development. Energy Efficiency, 15(2), 14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-022-10021-4
Rupeika-Apoga, R., & Petrovska, K. (2022). Barriers to sustainable digital transformation in micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises. Sustainability, 14(20), 13558. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013558
Sajid, M., Ansari, M. A. A., Tanveer, A., & et al. (2023). Evaluating the influence of green growth, institutional quality, and financial inclusion on financial stability: Evidence by sustainable finance theory. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30, 115965–115983. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30362-6
Wang, H., & Shao, R. (2024). Does the green finance policy affect the efficiency of corporate investment? Evidence from China’s green finance reform and innovation pilot zones. PLoS ONE, 19(11), e0313861. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313861
Wang, Q., & Fan, Z. (2023). Green finance and investment behavior of renewable energy enterprises: A case study of China. International Review of Financial Analysis, 87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2023.102564
Wei, N. (2024). Green finance, market integration, and regional economic resilience. Finance Research Letters(PA), 105777-105777. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2024.105777
Wu, G., Xu, Q., Niu, X., & Tao, L. (2022). How does government policy improve green technology innovation: An empirical study in China. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, 799794. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.799794
Yang, Z. (2023). The impact of green finance on high-quality economic development in China: Vertical fiscal imbalance as the moderating effect. Sustainability, 15(12), 9350. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129350
Zeng, Q., Tong, Y., & Yang, Y. (2023). Can green finance promote green technology innovation in enterprises: Empirical evidence from China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(3), 1-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28342-x
Zhang, C., Wang, C., Jin, H., Xu, M., Balezentis, T., & Agnusdei, L. (2024). The impact of green finance on energy transition and carbon emission targets: Exploring the double threshold and spatial spillover effects among the regions. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strueco.2024.12.012
Zhang, D., Wang, C., Miao, S., & Deng, L. (2024). The impact of firm's ESG performance on the skill premium: Evidence from China's green finance reform pilot zone. International Review of Financial Analysis, 89, 102549. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103213
Zhang, J., Wu, G., & Zhang, J. (2004). Interprovincial physical capital stock estimation in China: 1952–2000. Economic Research, 10, 35–44.
Zhang, W., Ke, J., Ding, Y., & et al. (2024). Greening through finance: Green finance policies and firms' green investment. Energy Economics, 131, 107401. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2024.107401
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Qisong Wang, Shangjun Li, Yajie Han

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
DATE
Accepted: 2026-04-24
Published: 2026-05-11








