ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Health Economics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1641241
Leveraging FinTech for positive ESG outcomes through regional innovation: insights from a knowledge capital perspective
Provisionally accepted
Xinrui Sun1
Guo Wu2*- 1University College London, London, United Kingdom
- 2Sanda University, Shanghai, China
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Financial technology (FinTech) is an increasingly important driver of sustainable development, with a crucial role in influencing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes that underpin public health and well-being. In this study, we theoretically and empirically examine the impact of FinTech on regional ESG performance. Our empirical analysis is based on a panel dataset covering 31 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2023. We provide evidence that FinTech enhances regional ESG performance, primarily by promoting regional innovation. Drawing on a tentative knowledge capital model, we show that the innovation-enhancing effect is achieved by improving innovation efficiency and reducing innovation costs related to sustainable practices. Furthermore, the positive impact of FinTech on regional ESG performance is more pronounced in regions with lower income disparity and higher urbanization. These findings highlight the need for differentiated FinTech policies, tailored to local socio-economic and environmental conditions, to effectively support ESG goals, foster regional sustainable development, and ultimately contribute to improved public health and well-being.
Keywords: Financial technology, Regional ESG, sustainable development, Regional innovation, Urbanization, Income disparity, Knowledge capital
Received: 05 Jun 2025; Accepted: 18 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sun and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Guo Wu, Sanda University, Shanghai, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.