Cross‐ownership and corporate ESG investment: Promotion or suppression?

Abstract

AbstractEnvironmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing is the new mainstream of sustainable development in the “dual‐carbon” era and serves as a crucial indicator for assessing enterprises' high‐quality development. Cross‐ownership, as an important participant in the capital market, significantly influences corporate business decisions. However, whether the impact of cross‐ownership on corporate ESG investment manifests as a synergistic governance effect or competitive collusion effect is a vital question. This study empirically investigates the impact of cross‐ownership on ESG investment, using listed companies in heavily polluting industries from the Shanghai and Shenzhen A‐shares between 2015 and 2022 as the research sample. The findings reveal that cross‐ownership positively influences corporate ESG investment by reducing information asymmetry, alleviating financing constraints, and enhancing corporate governance. This research not only expands the theoretical understanding of cross‐ownership and corporate ESG investment but also offers empirical guidance for improving corporate governance mechanisms and attaining sustainable development.