“Crowding Out” or “Reservoir Effect”? Unraveling the Impact of Financialization on Green Innovation in Heavy Polluting Enterprises: Evidence from China’s Listed Companies

Abstract

In the era of green transformation and sustainable development, green innovation has become a key force driving the greenization of the economy and society, as well as achieving global sustainable development goals. This study aims to investigate the impact of financialization on green innovation in heavy polluting enterprises, a sector where enhancing green innovation capabilities is crucial for both industry transformation and sustained economic growth. As the financialization of enterprises deepens, its effects on green innovation become increasingly significant. Based on data from 667 listed companies in China, we explore the mechanisms through which financialization influences green innovation. Our findings reveal that financialization has both a potential “reservoir” effect, which provides financial support for green innovation, and a significant “crowding out” effect, with the latter outweighing the former, thereby suppressing investment in green innovation. Further analysis indicates that these effects exhibit significant heterogeneity across different property rights, regions, and corporate debt-to-asset ratios. Additionally, the short-term debt-paying ability of enterprises and market competitiveness play important regulatory and threshold roles in this relationship. This study not only provides a new perspective for understanding the relationship between the financialization of heavy polluting enterprises and green innovation but also offers valuable insights for promoting the coordinated development of both and addressing the challenges of green innovation.