Nexus between green credit efficiency and strategic, business and management digital transformation–based on 114 commercial banks in China

With the expansion of green finance and the digital economy, the discussion on the evolution of green credit business and the digitalization of commercial banks have grown in prominence. However, limited research has been done on how different degrees of digital transformation in commercial banks—the main issuers—affect the way of green credit efficiency. To fill this gap, based on data from 114 Chinese commercial banks between 2010 and 2021, this paper explores the impact of digitalization on the green credit efficiency through the integration of several methodologies. The paper indicates that enhancing the digitalization, business digitization, and management digitization of commercial banks can greatly enhance the effectiveness of green credit businesses, but the impact of strategic digitization is not significant. Further analysis reveals that digitization facilitates the expansion of overall bank assets, thereby bolstering the green credit business. It also investigates the characteristics of commercial banks and the geographical distribution of their headquarters, indicating a diminished promotional impact for urban and rural banks, as well as banks in the central areas. Finally, this study contends that commercial banks ought to leverage digital resources extensively to facilitate digital transformation and bolster the advancement of green credit operations. It is also recommended that the government should implement preferential policies for regions and banks exhibiting slower developmental progress.