Research Article

Green finance without green returns? Carbon compliance, production scale and European steel export competitiveness

Volume: 4 Number: 1 June 30, 2026
TR EN

Green finance without green returns? Carbon compliance, production scale and European steel export competitiveness

Abstract

Purpose – This study examines whether country-level green finance, measured by green bond issuances, translates into measurable improvements in the export performance of the European steel sector, one of the most carbon-intensive and trade-exposed industries under the EU's evolving climate regulatory architecture. Design/data/methodology – The analysis covers 17 European economies over 2015–2024 (N = 170, balanced panel). Panel Quantile Regression (PQR) is employed to capture distributional heterogeneity across the full range of export performance, from the weakest to the most competitive exporters. Findings – Green bond issuances exert no statistically significant effect on steel exports at any quantile, interpreted through a structural temporal mismatch hypothesis. Production capacity is the dominant export driver, with a monotonically declining elasticity from 2.33 at Q10 to 0.75 at Q90. Carbon intensity consistently depresses exports, with a sharply amplified effect at Q90. Mean-based OLS estimators reverse the sign of the production-export relationship, confirming that quantile regression is a methodological necessity in structurally heterogeneous panels. Originality/value – This study provides original quantile panel evidence on the green finance, export competitiveness nexus for a major energy intensive sector, addressing a gap at the intersection of sustainable finance, trade economics, and industrial policy. The theorization of the temporal mismatch mechanism, the documented OLS sign reversal, and the differentiated quantile-based policy recommendations constitute contributions to both the green finance literature and the economics of EU carbon market architecture

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Environment and Climate Finance

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2026

Submission Date

March 18, 2026

Acceptance Date

May 20, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 4 Number: 1

APA
Hammache, S. (2026). Green finance without green returns? Carbon compliance, production scale and European steel export competitiveness. Journal of Economics, Finance and Sustainability, 4(1), 124-143. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20963926
AMA
1.Hammache S. Green finance without green returns? Carbon compliance, production scale and European steel export competitiveness. EFS. 2026;4(1):124-143. doi:10.5281/zenodo.20963926
Chicago
Hammache, Souria. 2026. “Green Finance Without Green Returns? Carbon Compliance, Production Scale and European Steel Export Competitiveness”. Journal of Economics, Finance and Sustainability 4 (1): 124-43. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20963926.
EndNote
Hammache S (June 1, 2026) Green finance without green returns? Carbon compliance, production scale and European steel export competitiveness. Journal of Economics, Finance and Sustainability 4 1 124–143.
IEEE
[1]S. Hammache, “Green finance without green returns? Carbon compliance, production scale and European steel export competitiveness”, EFS, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 124–143, June 2026, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.20963926.
ISNAD
Hammache, Souria. “Green Finance Without Green Returns? Carbon Compliance, Production Scale and European Steel Export Competitiveness”. Journal of Economics, Finance and Sustainability 4/1 (June 1, 2026): 124-143. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20963926.
JAMA
1.Hammache S. Green finance without green returns? Carbon compliance, production scale and European steel export competitiveness. EFS. 2026;4:124–143.
MLA
Hammache, Souria. “Green Finance Without Green Returns? Carbon Compliance, Production Scale and European Steel Export Competitiveness”. Journal of Economics, Finance and Sustainability, vol. 4, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 124-43, doi:10.5281/zenodo.20963926.
Vancouver
1.Souria Hammache. Green finance without green returns? Carbon compliance, production scale and European steel export competitiveness. EFS. 2026 Jun. 1;4(1):124-43. doi:10.5281/zenodo.20963926

Journal of Economics, Finance and Sustainability
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Alumni Association
RİZE / Türkiye