On the afternoon of November 8, Huaying Zeng, a master's student from the School of Economics and Management at Huazhong Agricultural University, presented her research titled “Study on the Impact of ESG Responsibility on Banks' Corporate Profitability: Based on Empirical Evidence from Chinese A-share Listed Commercial Banks” at the seminar.

Ms. Zeng began by introducing the research background of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria and their relevance to the profitability of commercial banks. She then summarized the existing literature and formulated her research questions. In the empirical analysis section, she utilized a two-way fixed-effects model to analyze how ESG responsibility fulfillment impacts bank profitability. Additionally, she conducted heterogeneity analyses based on bank nature and capital adequacy ratios. At the conclusion of her study, she explored the moderating effects of economic policy uncertainty, digital transformation, and information transparency on the relationship between ESG performance and bank profitability.

During the discussion and interaction session, participants engaged in a lively debate on issues related to endogeneity and potential causal mechanisms. Addressing the identified shortcomings and areas for improvement in her study, Ms. Zeng outlined her plans for future work.