The Effect of Green Transformation on the Operating Efficiency of Green M&A Enterprises: Evidence from China

Environmental protection has been infused into the development of numerous fields by the Chinese government. The government’s implementation of green development has also shifted its focus to green transformation and governance of highpolluting companies. In the context of green and sustainable development, this study employs DEA data envelopment analysis to compare the operating efficiency of listed firms that implemented Green Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in China in 2018. The conclusions of this study are as follows: First, China’s green M&A enterprises are unevenly dispersed among the country’s east, middle, and western regions. Second, compared to before the implementation of Green M&A, operational efficiency has improved in most industries. Third, the difference in Green M&A across industries is generally favorable, showing that most organizations have improved their operational performance as a result of Green M&A implementation. In 2018, however, the gap in operating efficiency is more negative. Fourth, whereas the eastern and western areas’ operational efficiency has improved as a result of Green M&A, the central region’s has not. Based on this conclusion, this study makes recommendations for China’s future sustainable development of heavily polluted firms.