Understanding the relationship between Fintech, Natural Resources, Green Finance, and Environmental Sustainability in China: A BARDL approach

Abstract

China has been one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions all around the world. The rise in pollution in the country is leading to environmental problems in the world and is causing the health expenditure in the country to rise. Thus, despite the outrageous economic development, the country is lagging regarding Environmental Sustainability (ENS). For that purpose, the role of Fintech (FNT), Natural Resources (NTR), and Green Finance (GFN) is studied for ENS. The study has used the BARDL technique, which is the state-of-the-art approach and is superior to the conventional ARDL-based approaches, considering the data from 2000 to 2020. The findings suggest that FNT can be one of the ways to digitalize the financial sector and ensure that state-of-the-art technology reduces the CO2 emissions from the financial industry and helps promote finance for green projects. Similarly, the use and extraction of NTR's can prove to be detrimental to China's quest for mitigating environmental challenges. The use of fossil fuels would reduce the ENS of China. There is an urgent need to transition towards green and clean energy. GFN is an ideal way to develop a sustainable financial system which can help to promote green projects and help to develop a strong, sustainable economy. China is recommended to use green budgeting as it would include setting up scales for the use of NTRs and monitoring the use of the specific NTRs. Furthermore, the government should promote the use of GFN at all levels through the provision of subsidies and incentives to generate greater private sector participation in GFN.