Can Green Credit Promote Carbon Reduction?On the Impact of Financial “Dual Collaboration” in Finance

Green credit fulfills the dual functions of financial resource allocation and environmental regulation, and serves as a policy tool to facilitate the achievement of the dual carbon goals. Meanwhile, the rapid development of digital technology has effectively expanded the breadth and depth of financial services, providing new impetus for the precision allocation of green credit. Using provincial panel data from 2008 to 2020, this study empirically tested the carbon reduction path of green credit and the carbon reduction effect of financial “dual cooperation”, providing a reference for exploring carbon reduction strategies from the perspective of financial “dual cooperation”. The research conclusion is as follows: firstly, green credit has a significant carbon reduction effect and lags behind. Secondly, heterogeneity analysis shows that the carbon emission reduction effect of green credit is generally stronger in regions with smaller investment scales, but the lag effect is stronger in regions with larger investment scales. Green credit in regions with a high degree of marketization can significantly reduce carbon emissions. The carbon reduction effect of green credit in the central and eastern regions is stronger, but the western region shows better policy lag. Thirdly, green credit mainly helps reduce carbon emissions through four paths: industrial structure upgrading, green technology innovation, industrial structure upgrading drives the reduction of energy consumption intensity, and green technology innovation drives the reduction of energy consumption intensity. Fourthly, the “dual synergy” of finance has a restraining effect on carbon emissions.