Accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity: evidence from China

Abstract Accountability audits of natural resources, which aim to support green development, constitute a Chinese institutional innovation. In this study, we employed a multiperiod difference-in-differences model to investigate the influence of accountability audits of natural resources on the indus...

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Main Authors: Rongbing Huang, Xiaomin Zou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2025-02-01
Series:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04451-5
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author Rongbing Huang
Xiaomin Zou
author_facet Rongbing Huang
Xiaomin Zou
author_sort Rongbing Huang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Accountability audits of natural resources, which aim to support green development, constitute a Chinese institutional innovation. In this study, we employed a multiperiod difference-in-differences model to investigate the influence of accountability audits of natural resources on the industrial green total factor productivity by matching 2012 to 2019 province‒industry annual data. We demonstrated that accountability audits of natural resources considerably increase the green total factor productivity among heavily polluting industries and the overall industry greening level. These findings continued to hold after expansion tests, and a series of robustness tests were performed. Further analysis revealed that via resource allocation optimization and driven by technological innovation, audit supervision supports increased green total factor productivity levels among heavy polluters. Moreover, regional, industrial, and individual characteristics exerted heterogeneous impacts on industrial green transformation. Thus, this study yields a novel contribution, as it is the first in which industry-level data are used to clarify the controversy observed in previous studies and the first to provide incremental empirical evidence to support the reliability and sustainability of the policy effects of accountability audits of natural resources.
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spelling doaj-art-3877028d1aa441b297ced00ee06061512025-02-09T12:25:47ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-02-0112111710.1057/s41599-025-04451-5Accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity: evidence from ChinaRongbing Huang0Xiaomin Zou1School of Accounting, Zhejiang Gongshang UniversitySchool of Accounting, Zhejiang Gongshang UniversityAbstract Accountability audits of natural resources, which aim to support green development, constitute a Chinese institutional innovation. In this study, we employed a multiperiod difference-in-differences model to investigate the influence of accountability audits of natural resources on the industrial green total factor productivity by matching 2012 to 2019 province‒industry annual data. We demonstrated that accountability audits of natural resources considerably increase the green total factor productivity among heavily polluting industries and the overall industry greening level. These findings continued to hold after expansion tests, and a series of robustness tests were performed. Further analysis revealed that via resource allocation optimization and driven by technological innovation, audit supervision supports increased green total factor productivity levels among heavy polluters. Moreover, regional, industrial, and individual characteristics exerted heterogeneous impacts on industrial green transformation. Thus, this study yields a novel contribution, as it is the first in which industry-level data are used to clarify the controversy observed in previous studies and the first to provide incremental empirical evidence to support the reliability and sustainability of the policy effects of accountability audits of natural resources.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04451-5
spellingShingle Rongbing Huang
Xiaomin Zou
Accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity: evidence from China
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
title Accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity: evidence from China
title_full Accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity: evidence from China
title_fullStr Accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity: evidence from China
title_full_unstemmed Accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity: evidence from China
title_short Accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity: evidence from China
title_sort accountability audits of natural resources and industrial green total factor productivity evidence from china
url https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04451-5
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AT xiaominzou accountabilityauditsofnaturalresourcesandindustrialgreentotalfactorproductivityevidencefromchina