Political turnover and firm pollution discharges: An empirical study

This paper aims to examine the relationship between political turnover and pollution discharges by listed firms in China. The empirical results show that political turnover is associated with more firm pollution discharges, particularly if the newly appointed officials are promoted locally or normally transferred. Furthermore, higher frequency of political turnover is linked with more pollution discharges. Lastly, our extended analysis illustrates that political connection is positively associated with firm pollution discharges and plays a moderating role in the relationship between political turnover and environmental performance.