Does ESG Disclosure Affect Corporate-Bond Credit Spreads? Evidence from China

Abstract

With the exponential development of an ecological and sustainable economy and society, the concept and practice of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments are being popularized in the capital market of China. ESG disclosure is an important supplement to financial disclosure and plays an increasingly significant role in asset pricing. In this paper, we selected corporate bond data in China’s secondary bond market from 2015 to 2020, and introduced the Nelson–Siegel model to study the influence of ESG disclosure on corporate bond credit spreads in the secondary market. This model passed robustness tests when we used alternative data fitted by the modified Nelson–Siegel model. Results show that ESG disclosure significantly reduces credit spreads on corporate bonds in the secondary market. State ownership and industry play significant roles in moderating the impact of ESG disclosure on corporate bond credit spreads. Specifically, the ESG disclosure of non-state-owned companies and companies in non-high-pollution and -energy-consumption industries has a greater impact on reducing corporate bond credit spreads. Therefore, we urge regulatory departments to establish a sound ESG disclosure evaluation system, and the issue companies to improve the quality of their ESG disclosure, especially non-state-owned companies, and those in non-high-pollution and -energy-consumption industries. Corporate bond investors would benefit from integrating ESG information into their investment decision-making process.