Environmental tax incentives and corporate environmental behaviour: An unintended consequence from a natural experiment in China

Abstract Using the implementation of the Environmental Protection Tax (EPT) Law in China as a natural experiment, we explore the impact of environmental tax incentives on corporate environmental engagement. Evidence shows that, after the implementation of the EPT Law, there exists a significant improvement in the environmental performance of firms located in regions with increased EPT rates. However, our results reveal an unintended consequence that this effect is more salient for nonheavy‐polluting companies rather than for heavy polluters that are more targeted by the EPT Law.