When faced with reality: How extreme weather events influence bank lending

Abstract

We combine precise geolocation data on firms with detailed loan-level information to examine how an extreme weather event influences banks’ perceptions of climate-related risks. We focus on the severe flooding that occurred in Slovenia in August 2023 and analyse changes in the borrowing terms offered to firms situated in flood-prone areas that were not directly affected by the disaster. We find that banks revise their assessment of climate risk following the flood, as evidenced by tighter lending conditions for exposed firms. Specifically, high-risk firms experience a decline in outstanding loan amounts and an increase in borrowing costs. We also find some evidence that the impact is more pronounced for loans with short maturity and no collateral and less pronounced for firms with a relationship with a single bank.