Asset Structure, Asset Utilization Efficiency, and Carbon Emission Performance: Evidence from Panel Data of China’s Low-Carbon Industry

Abstract

With the development of a low-carbon economy, corporate carbon emission performance has become an important premise for green financing. Compared with high-carbon industries, companies in low-carbon industries have their own carbon advantages and receive less attention. In order to highlight the value of carbon emission performance in low-carbon industries, further investigation on the basis of low-carbon industries is still needed. In terms of fixed assets, which are indicators for an important source of carbon emissions in intensive carbon industries, this study explores the relationship between asset structure, asset utilization efficiency, and carbon emission performance in low-carbon industries. This study selects Chinese listed companies from low-carbon industries that have disclosed their carbon emission performance from 2010 to 2021 as samples. The panel model is used for regression analysis, and then the Arellano-Bover/Blundell-Bond panel dynamic data model is used to solve the problem of endogeneity. The results show that the higher the fixed asset ratio, the worse the carbon emission performance. Asset utilization efficiency weakens the inhibitory effect of the fixed asset ratio on carbon emission performance. This study verifies the significant impact of fixed assets on the carbon emission performance of low-carbon industries as well as the promotion effect of asset utilization efficiency on carbon emission performance. Further investigation verified the promoting effect of corporate growth capabilities on carbon emission performance with two mechanisms, namely the relationship between fixed assets (independent variable)-asset utilization efficiency and (mediator)-corporate growth capabilities (dependent variable) or the relationship between asset utilization efficiency (independent variable)-corporate growth capabilities and (mediator)-fixed assets (dependent variable) from perspectives of enterprise value and expansion. This study expands the influencing factors of carbon emissions in low-carbon industries and is a theoretical supplement to a large number of high-carbon studies. At the same time, it also has certain implications for the carbon emission management practices of enterprises in low-carbon industries. It also reveals the urgency for the government and research institutions to clarify the carbon emission capacity of different fixed assets. Thus, it is convenient for low-carbon industries and high-carbon industries to carry out more refined carbon management and give full play to their carbon advantages.