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Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China

Supervisor at DLE

Professor Helen Bao

Research topic at DLE

Credibility of Corporate ESG Behavior: Index Construction, Mitigation Mechanisms, and Corporate Impacts

Short bio

My research examines how policies and financial mechanisms shape corporate sustainability, green innovation, and ESG performance. I am particularly interested in how government interventions and market dynamics interact to drive environmental and economic outcomes. Methodologically, I specialize in empirical analysis, applying advanced econometric techniques to explore the effectiveness of environmental policies and sustainable finance in corporate decision-making.

List of publications

  • Jia Xu, Shu Zeng, Shaozhou Qi, Jingbo Cui. “Do Institutional Investors Facilitate Corporate Environmental Innovation?” , Energy Economics, 2023, 117:106472.
  • Jia Xu, Xiujie Tan, Gang He, Yu Liu. “Disentangling the drivers of carbon prices in China's ETS pilots — An EEMD approach”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2019, 139: 1-9.
  • Jia Xu, Jingbo Cui. “Low-Carbon Cities and Firms Green Technological Innovation”, China Industrial Economics, 2020 (12): 178-196.
  • Shaozhou Qi, Jia Xu. “Influence of trade openness on green TFP of countries along 'the Belt and Road'”. China Population Resources and Environment, 2018(4). 
  • Shaozhou Qi, Jia Xu. “Environmental Regulation and Low-carbon International Competitiveness of Manufacturing Industries: `Porter Hypothesis` Re-examination of G20 Countries”. Wuhan University Journal (Philosophy & Social Science), 2018(1):132-144.
  • Jia Xu, Xiujie Tan. Carbon Prices' Space-time Heterogeneity. Journal of Environmental Economics, 2016, 1(2):107-122.

Working papers

  • Jia Xu Mingwei Liu Helen X. H. Bao. Beyond the ESG Facade: Measuring and Addressing Corporate “Lip Service”. Working Paper, January 2025. Submit at Journal of Business Ethics.
  • Jia Xu, Shu Zeng, Jingbo Cui. “Green Finance and Corporate Green Innovation: Evidence from the Equator Principles.” Working Paper, July 2024. Submit at Climate Policy.
  • Jia Xu, Ao Chen, Huarong Peng. “Green bonds and corporate green innovation: green in substance or form? ” Working Paper.

Research grants/projects

  • 2021–2023, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Young Scientists Fund
    "Mechanisms and Synergistic Effects of Government-Led and Market-Driven Green Finance on Corporate Green Innovation" (Grant No. 72003076) – Principal Investigator.
  • 2019–2020, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
    "Micro-Level Fluctuation Mechanism of Carbon Emission Trading Prices" (Grant No. CCNU20XJ032) – Principal Investigator.