Urban agglomeration and the relationship between environmental performance and profitability: evidence from global REITs

Yishuang Xu & Voraprapa Nakavachara

Journal of Chinese Economics and Business Studies2026https://doi.org/10.1080/14765284.2026.2626125article
AJG 1ABDC C
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

This study examines how spatial context influences the relationship between environmental performance (lower carbon emission intensity) and financial performance (higher profitability) in real estate investment trusts (REITs). Analyzing 375 REITs across 21 economies during 2017-2023, we identify a negative, non-linear relationship between carbon emission intensity and profitability. However, this relationship is significantly weaker for REITs headquarted in major urban agglomerations. We attribute this to three mechanisms: reduced environmental differentiation in dense markets, elevated operational costs, and systemic environmental externalities. In contrast, REITs outside agglomerations show a stronger negative relationship, driven largely by Scope 2 emissions. Our findings reveal the importance of geographical context in shaping green financial outcomes and highlight the need for spatially sensitive policy design. We also discuss how AI can enhance emission monitoring, hotspot identification, and resource optimization, strengthening the environmental-financial link in future real estate management.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/14765284.2026.2626125

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@article{yishuang2026,
  title        = {{Urban agglomeration and the relationship between environmental performance and profitability: evidence from global REITs}},
  author       = {Yishuang Xu & Voraprapa Nakavachara},
  journal      = {Journal of Chinese Economics and Business Studies},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/14765284.2026.2626125},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.