Analyzing the effects of climate risk on discouraged borrowers: Deciphering the contradictory forces.

We examine the impact of climate risk on discouraged borrowers among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the eurozone, using a unique European Central Bank dataset focusing on the demand side of credit markets. We argue that two opposing channels may exist in this relationship: Either climate risk has a negative effect stemming from increased demand for sustainable or climate-resilient projects that enhance creditworthiness, or climate risk has a positive effect arising from heightened climate uncertainty and risk aversion, leading to credit self-rationing among SMEs. Our findings reveal that heightened climate risk prompts SMEs to self-ration credit, leading to higher probabilities of discouraged borrowers. Our research deepens the understanding of the impact of climate risk on credit-related decisions, stressing the need for proactive measures to integrate climate risk assessments into regulatory frameworks and lending practices. The findings underscore the vulnerability of SMEs to climate risk, emphasizing emphasizing the importance of tailored support mechanisms for economic resilience.

Monetary policy impact on sustainability: Analyzing interest rates and corporate carbon emissions.

This study aims to investigate the impact of monetary policy on firms' carbon emissions. The primary focus is on the effect of increasing interest rates on the carbon footprint of companies, both prior to and following the implementation of the Paris Agreement in 2015. The results show that there is a positive relationship between interest rates and carbon emissions indicating that in the face of increasing interest rates, companies are more likely to choose short-term financial stability above long-term sustainability objectives. This positive relationship is less prevalent following the Paris Agreement suggesting that policymakers should continue to strengthen global climate initiatives as a pressure for companies to invest in green activities. Additional evidence suggests that the impact of interest rates on carbon emissions is particularly noticeable in situations characterized by elevated levels of economic and policy uncertainty, weak corporate governance quality, and poor investor protection. These results are robust to endogeneity concerns, alternative measures of interest rates, carbon emission, and alternative samples.

Financial contagion intensity during the COVID-19 outbreak: A copula approach.

The sudden and rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a severe impact on financial markets and economic activities all over the world. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the existence and intensity of financial contagion during the COVID-19 outbreak. We use daily series of stock indexes of 10 Asian countries (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia and China) and 4 American countries (the United-States, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina) over the period starting from January 1st, 2014 to June 30th, 2021. Based on a copula approach, the results show that all studied markets are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and the presence of financial contagion for all American and Asian countries. The results also show that contagion is more intense for American countries than Asian ones. These findings have practical implications, especially for investors, risk managers, and policy makers. The latter should continue to provide liquidity to the international market during this pandemic.