Li, Panni; Zou, Hongyang; Coffman, D'Maris; Mi, Zhifu; Du, Huibin; (2024) The synergistic impact of incentive and regulatory environmental policies on firms’ environmental performance. Journal of Environmental Management , 365 , Article 121646. 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121646.

Text Coffman_Accepted manuscript JEM.pdf Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 5 July 2025. Download (544kB)

Abstract

The imperative to enhance corporate environmental performance is not only pivotal for a company’s growth but also crucial for fulfilling societal responsibilities and protecting global environmental interests. Recognizing the inadequacies of standalone environmental policies, our study delves into the synergistic effects of incentive-based and regulatory approaches on the environmental performance of listed firms in China. We meticulously examine the interplay between environmental punishment and subsidies over the period of 2015–2019. Our analysis reveals that a strategic combination of punishment and subsidies can substantially improve firms' environmental performance. This effect intensifies with the increasing amounts of fines and subsidies. Additionally, we explore the dynamic effects of policy implementation. Our results indicate that subsidies implemented either a year before or after the imposition of punishment might diminish the effectiveness of standalone environmental penalty policies. Furthermore, our findings suggest that diverse regulatory policies enhance firm environmental performance by promoting investments in environmental protection and fostering green innovation. This discovery highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of policy mixes and their implications for corporate environmental strategies.

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