(Student Correspondent: Yiting Wang) At 14:30 on the afternoon of December 19, 2025,the special lecture for"The 51th Frontier Forum on Digital Technology and Economic Finance:The Impacts of Extreme Weather and Biodiversity Risks on Corporate Financial Decisions"was successfully held in Conference Room 408,South Wenzuan Building.The lecture was delivered by Assistant Professor Kiet Duong, currently at the University of York.The lecture was hosted by Professor Yongbin Lv,Vice Dean of the School of Finance and Associate Director of the Innovation And Talent Base for Digital Technology and Finance at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.Over 30 faculty members and students from the School of Finance attended the lecture offline.

The lecture officially commenced after a brief opening address by Professor Yongbin Lv. First, Assistant Professor Kiet Duong highlighted that against the backdrop of intensifying global climate change and sharp declines in biodiversity, environmental risks have become a critical variable affecting the survival and development of enterprises. He emphasized that delving into their impact mechanisms on corporate financial decision-making holds significant implications for enhancing firms' risk response capabilities and achieving sustainable development.

Next, Assistant Professor Kiet Duong systematically introduced the two core components of his research.The research findings indicate that regarding the impact of extreme weather risks on corporate financial decisions,firms affected by extreme weather tend to prefer acquiring fixed assets and rely more on internal financing and asset leasing for financing choices.Concerning biodiversity risks, firms exposed to such risks significantly reduce short-term debt and shift towards long-term debt to mitigate the risks.The research also noted that factors such as firm size,the degree of geographical diversification of the supply chain,and whether the firm holds government contracts can effectively alleviate the negative impact of biodiversity risks on corporate financial decisions.

Subsequently,Professor Kiet Duong provided an in-depth analysis of the practical significance of researching the impacts of extreme weather and biodiversity risks on corporate financial decisions.This research not only offers new perspectives on asset allocation and financing strategies for enterprises coping with environmental risks but also provides important empirical evidence for governments and financial institutions in formulating relevant support policies.

During the Q&A session, attending faculty and students engaged in in-depth discussions on research methodologies, data sample selection,and policy implementation pathways.Participants expressed that the lecture deepened their understanding of corporate resource allocation and provided important references for enterprises addressing climate change and adjusting financial decisions.

Finally,Professor Yongbin Lv expressed gratitude to Assistant Professor Kiet Duong for the excellent presentation and emphasized that corporate financial decision-making under environmental risks is an important direction in financial research,and future efforts will continue to promote research and collaboration in this area.With that, the lecture concluded successfully.

This lecture built an academic bridge for international exchange,introducing cutting-edge international research perspectives and methods.Faculty and students stated that they would take this lecture as an opportunity to actively learn from international research experience, delve deeper into the intersecting fields of environment and corporate finance,and contribute academic strength to promoting global corporate sustainable development and high-quality economic growth.

Speaker Introduction

Kiet Duong is an Assistant Professor in Finance at the School for Business and Society,University of York,United Kingdom.Prior to joining the University of York in December 2021,he was a Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at the Huddersfield Business School,University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom.He holds an MSc in Finance and a PhD in Finance from the University of Essex.He has published papers in the Journal of Corporate Finance,Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Economics Letters,Energy Economics, Accounting and Business Research,etc.He has presented his work at the UK HM Treasury and has been invited to visit the Bank of Finland.His research areas include corporate finance,corporate governance,ESG,sustainability,etc.

Frontier Forum for Digital Technology and Finance introduction

Recent years have witnessed a dramatic acceleration in a digital revolution in economic sectors and a rapid adoption of the new generation of information technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, big data, etc. These technologies effectively set off the digital economy. It has become a key driving force in creating global economic growth, improving the modernization level of governance capabilities, and promoting high-quality economic development in China. In particular, digital finance is the most important part of the digital economy. To explore the development direction of the cross-integration of digital technology and finance, the Innovation and Talent Base for Digital Technology and Finance is hosting the “Frontier Forum for Digital Technology and Finance”, in collaboration with the School of Finance, Wenlan School of Business, Economics School, School of Information and Safety Engineering, School of Statistics and Mathematics, School of Public Finance and Taxation of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL). This lecture series will invite the well-known scholars at home and abroad in digital technology, digital economy, digital finance, and other related fields as guest speakers, providing an open and cutting-edge academic exchange platform for interdisciplinary research on digital technology and finance.