How can Chinese A-shared listed bank’s ESG activities affect their risk-taking?

Abstract

The sustainable development of society has gradually been the world’s attention at all levels. At the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, the Chinese government said it would aim to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. All levels of government in China are also responding to the call, and how to promote green and sustainable development has become China’s top priority to achieve high-quality double reduction goals. As a banking-led prosperous economy, how to implement the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) concept in the banking industry has become the most important to achieve the double reduction goal of quality and quantity in China. In recent years, the CBRC and the People’s Bank of China (PBC) have issued much guidance on transforming the banking industry through ESG. Considering that the number of A-share listed bank companies in China, especially the number of local banks (urban commercial banks and rural commercial banks), has increased in recent years, it is also considered that the existing research focuses on the relationship between ESG management and bank performance, and there is little analysis on bank risk. Based on the annual data of China’s A-share listed banks from 2018 to 2022, this paper uses regression analysis to explore the relationship between the implementation of ESG and bank risk-taking.