The dynamic relationship between regional corruption and carbon emissions in China.

Abstract: Does regional corruption exacerbate regional carbon emissions? To answer this, based on the spatial Durbin model, this study empirically examines the impact of regional corruption on carbon emission, using panel data from 30 provinces in China during the period 2002-2017. The results show that: (1) there is an indistinctive N-shaped relationship between regional corruption and carbon emissions at the national level. Regional corruption tends to initially aggravate carbon emissions, then contributes to emission reduction, and then finally boosts carbon emissions. However, this effect is not statistically significant. The results suggest that the role of regional corruption on carbon emissions is twofold. Corruption can exacerbate and can also inhibit regional carbon emissions. (2) Pronounced regional heterogeneity exists with regard to the influence of corruption on carbon emissions. Regional corruption and carbon emissions show a significant N-shaped dynamic relationship in China's central region, while the relationship is not significant in the eastern and western regions. (3) The impact of regional corruption on carbon emissions varies with time. For 2002-2009, regional corruption did not have a significant effect on carbon emissions. For 2010-2017, the direct effect became significant, and an apparent N-shaped relationship formed between regional corruption and carbon emissions. Based on the empirical results, this paper proposes several policy recommendations regarding corruption and carbon governance.

Industrial agglomeration and carbon neutrality in China: lessons and evidence.

This study explored the impact of industrial agglomeration on carbon neutrality and its spatial spillover effects utilizing the expanded the output density theoretical model of Ciccone and Hall. The main findings are as follows: (1) In terms of long-term effects, industrial output has significantly reduced regional carbon emissions, while industrial labor and capital agglomeration have aggravated carbon emissions, and industrial technology agglomeration has no significant impact on carbon emissions. (2) From the perspective of lagging effects, industrial output agglomeration has significantly increased regional carbon emissions, while industrial technology agglomeration has effectively reduced carbon emissions. The lagging effects of industrial labor and capital agglomeration are not significant. (3) From the perspective of regional differences, there are significant regional differences in the impact of industrial output and capital agglomeration on regional carbon emissions, while this differential influence does not exist on industrial labor and technological agglomeration. Therefore, in carbon emissions governance, it is necessary to analyze the long-term impact of industrial agglomeration on carbon emissions but also to pay attention to the lag and regional differences of the impact.

Media reporting, carbon information disclosure, and the cost of equity financing: evidence from China.

By using Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies in heavy polluting industry as research object from 2009 to 2014, this paper examines the relationship between media reporting, carbon information disclosure, and the cost of equity financing. The results show that media reporting can improve the quality of carbon information disclosure, and carbon information disclosure level is negatively associated with the cost of equity financing. This study also finds that financial carbon information disclosure and non-financial carbon information disclosure have significant negative relationship with the cost of equity financing respectively. Moreover, this paper shows that media reporting can strengthen the relationship between carbon information disclosure and the cost of equity financing.