Environmental Protection Tax Law and Corporate ESG Performance

We analyze the bond between environmental protection tax law (EPTL) and corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and explore the mediating role of corporate green technological innovation between the two. The study reveals a significant positive correlation between implementing EPTL and corporate ESG performance, with corporate green technological innovation acting as an intermediary. Furthermore, we find heterogeneity in the influence of EPTL on corporate ESG performance, which is primarily concentrated in non-state-owned enterprises. This study's conclusions remain valid after robustness and parallel trend tests.