Climate Change Concerns and Mortgage Lending

61 Pages Posted: 16 Sep 2019 Last revised: 25 Apr 2022

See all articles by Tinghua Duan

Tinghua Duan

IESEG School of Management

Frank Weikai Li

Singapore Management University - Lee Kong Chian School of Business

Date Written: April 27, 2021

Abstract

We examine whether beliefs about climate change affect loan officers’ mortgage lending decisions. We show that abnormally high local temperature leads to elevated attention to and belief in climate change in a region. Loan officers approve fewer mortgage applications and originate lower amount of loans in abnormally warm weather. This effect is not fully explained by changes in local economic conditions, and is stronger among counties exposed to sea-level rise risk and during periods of heightened attention to climate change. By contrast, Fintech lenders partially fill the gap in demand left by traditional lenders when local temperature is abnormally high.

Keywords: Climate Change, Global Warming, Mortgage Lending, Temperature Anomaly

JEL Classification: G40, G41, Q54

Suggested Citation

Duan, Tinghua and Li, Frank Weikai, Climate Change Concerns and Mortgage Lending (April 27, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3449696 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3449696

Tinghua Duan (Contact Author)

IESEG School of Management ( email )

Socle de la Grande Arche
1 Parvis de la Defense
Puteaux, Paris 92800
France

Frank Weikai Li

Singapore Management University - Lee Kong Chian School of Business ( email )

469 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 912409
Singapore

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