Identifying the nexus among green investment, economic restructuring and carbon emission: Evidence from provinces in China

With the advancement of green finance, green investment plays a crucial role in conserving energy and reducing emissions. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2004 to 2020, this paper constructs a two-way fixed effect model and empirically analyzes the link between green investment, econo...

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Main Authors: Mingyuan Guo, Yu Zhao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-12-01
Series:Sustainable Futures
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825006227
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author Mingyuan Guo
Yu Zhao
author_facet Mingyuan Guo
Yu Zhao
author_sort Mingyuan Guo
collection DOAJ
description With the advancement of green finance, green investment plays a crucial role in conserving energy and reducing emissions. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2004 to 2020, this paper constructs a two-way fixed effect model and empirically analyzes the link between green investment, economic restructuring, and carbon emission. Our research finds: Firstly, the impact of green investment on carbon emission can be decomposed into the effects of “increasing production” and “improving efficiency”. The combination of these effects results in an inverted U-shaped relationship between the two. Secondly, heterogeneity tests show that the effect of green investment on carbon emission is more significant in central and underdeveloped regions. Thirdly, industrial structure, energy structure, as well as population structure, moderate the relationship between green investment and carbon emission. Finally, the mechanism analysis indicates that green technological innovation plays a significant mediating role, with substantive green innovation having a stronger effect than strategic green innovation. In the context of green finance, our research offers empirical evidence as well as policy insights for curbing carbon emissions.
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spelling doaj-art-2ecc9903621b4316a98c1c445ce9944e2025-08-20T02:57:30ZengElsevierSustainable Futures2666-18882025-12-011010105810.1016/j.sftr.2025.101058Identifying the nexus among green investment, economic restructuring and carbon emission: Evidence from provinces in ChinaMingyuan Guo0Yu Zhao1Corresponding author at: College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin University, Tianjin, PR China.; College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR ChinaCollege of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR ChinaWith the advancement of green finance, green investment plays a crucial role in conserving energy and reducing emissions. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2004 to 2020, this paper constructs a two-way fixed effect model and empirically analyzes the link between green investment, economic restructuring, and carbon emission. Our research finds: Firstly, the impact of green investment on carbon emission can be decomposed into the effects of “increasing production” and “improving efficiency”. The combination of these effects results in an inverted U-shaped relationship between the two. Secondly, heterogeneity tests show that the effect of green investment on carbon emission is more significant in central and underdeveloped regions. Thirdly, industrial structure, energy structure, as well as population structure, moderate the relationship between green investment and carbon emission. Finally, the mechanism analysis indicates that green technological innovation plays a significant mediating role, with substantive green innovation having a stronger effect than strategic green innovation. In the context of green finance, our research offers empirical evidence as well as policy insights for curbing carbon emissions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825006227Green investmentCarbon emissionInverted U-shaped shapeEconomic restructuring
spellingShingle Mingyuan Guo
Yu Zhao
Identifying the nexus among green investment, economic restructuring and carbon emission: Evidence from provinces in China
Sustainable Futures
Green investment
Carbon emission
Inverted U-shaped shape
Economic restructuring
title Identifying the nexus among green investment, economic restructuring and carbon emission: Evidence from provinces in China
title_full Identifying the nexus among green investment, economic restructuring and carbon emission: Evidence from provinces in China
title_fullStr Identifying the nexus among green investment, economic restructuring and carbon emission: Evidence from provinces in China
title_full_unstemmed Identifying the nexus among green investment, economic restructuring and carbon emission: Evidence from provinces in China
title_short Identifying the nexus among green investment, economic restructuring and carbon emission: Evidence from provinces in China
title_sort identifying the nexus among green investment economic restructuring and carbon emission evidence from provinces in china
topic Green investment
Carbon emission
Inverted U-shaped shape
Economic restructuring
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666188825006227
work_keys_str_mv AT mingyuanguo identifyingthenexusamonggreeninvestmenteconomicrestructuringandcarbonemissionevidencefromprovincesinchina
AT yuzhao identifyingthenexusamonggreeninvestmenteconomicrestructuringandcarbonemissionevidencefromprovincesinchina