Vol 4 No 1 (2026)

• Green Credit Flows and Green Patents as Drivers of Corporate Green Technology in China

  Yang Gao, Gang Gong, Siping He, Willi Semmler, Lin Xia, Nishu Mehrish

  As compared to the West, China's lack of fossil fuel energy resources, in particular oil and gas resources, but not so coal reserves (ChinaPower Project, 2025; Forbes, 2025; IEA, 2024; Yale Environment 360, 2021), seem to have led to an acceleration of renewable energy innovation. Yet in order to speed up the energy transition, investment into new technology, and credit flows are needed. We show that green credit policy significantly promotes corporate green patent trading performance, mainly manifested in the expansion of the number of green patent sales and purchases. However, its impact is heterogeneous among heavily polluting and green enterprises. From a mechanism perspective, the impact on heavily polluting enterprises may mainly come from external credit financing constraints, while internal innovation information disclosure may be the main mechanism for the impact on green enterprises. In addition, this green credit policy has a heterogeneous impact on the green patent trading performance of enterprises in regions with different levels of technology trading market development and different degrees of intellectual property protection. This paper finds that green patent trading activities driven by green credit policies can further achieve economic and environmental benefits. The empirical assessment of the role of green credit in promoting green patent transactions and thereby driving energy transition is an important policy implication of this paper.

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• Energy and Ethics: A Race We should Win

  Gregory-Telemachos Stamkopoulos, Katerina Tsita, Spyros Kiartzis

  The global paradigm shift towards sustainable energy solutions has led to an unprecedented emphasis on renewable energy sources. This paper delves into the transformative potential of renewable energy as not just a technological advancement but a beacon for ethical progress. We explore the multifaceted dimensions of renewable energy, from its ability to mitigate climate crisis and its role in promoting energy equity and security to its potential to reshape geopolitical landscapes. The ethical considerations underpinning these shifts are paramount; transitioning to renewables questions our responsibility to future generations, challenges current power structures, and demands reconsidering resource distribution. In a world grappling with environmental degradation and socio-economic disparities, renewable energy emerges not merely as an alternative power source but as a game changer that intertwines technological potential with ethical imperatives. This paper highlights the urgency of embracing renewable energy for its environmental merits and the profound ethical transformation it promises for the future.

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