Social-economic impacts of epidemic diseases

Does enterprise digital transformation contribute to green innovation? Micro-level evidence from China

The synergy of digitalization and greening has emerged as a prominent means to achieve the goal of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality". Given its significant contribution to carbon emissions, the impact of digital transformation on green innovation in manufacturing enterprises remains a longstanding research hotspot. Therefore, based on the data from China A-share listed manufacturing companies spanning from 2007 to 2022, this paper empirically analyzes the influence and mechanism of digital transformation on green innovation. Our findings reveal that digital transformation can significantly promote green innovation in manufacturing enterprises, with a particularly pronounced effect on substantive green innovation. These conclusions withstand rigorous robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that digital transformation can facilitate green innovation by improving internal control quality and fostering industry-university-research cooperation. Moreover, our moderation analysis reveals that both equity incentives and compensation incentives strengthen the positive relationship between digital transformation and green innovation in manufacturing enterprises. Heterogeneity analysis proves that digital transformation exerts a more pronounced impact on green innovation of state-owned manufacturing enterprises, non-heavily polluted manufacturing enterprises, and enterprises located in regions with strong intellectual property protection. Furthermore, the transformation of digital underlying technologies is more conducive to fostering green innovation compared to practical application transformation. Subsequent investigation into the economic and social effects of green innovation indicates that it effectively reduces pollution emissions from manufacturing enterprises without compromising their development. Additionally, the emission reduction and income-generating effect resulting from digital transformation primarily manifest through substantive green innovation. This research expands upon the theory regarding the impact of digital transformation on green innovation in micro-manufacturing enterprises, providing empirical support for facilitating low-carbon transformations among manufacturing enterprises under the goal of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality".

Spatial-temporal evolution of technology flows in China's Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region: Patent transfer networks 2003-2021

This paper presents new evidence on knowledge flows in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China, involving 43 cities (districts) in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, based on the invention patent transfer data from the State Intellectual Property Office of China. First, the characteristics of technology flows in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region are analyzed in terms of changes in the number of flows, types of flowing subjects and spatial distribution characteristics. Then, a multi-level patent technology flow network in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was constructed, and the structural characteristics and node characteristics of each level network were explored separately. The key findings of the study are as follows. (1) The number of patented technology flows has been growing over time, showing obvious phase characteristics during the study period. As a whole, the intra-city (district) technology flow in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is higher than the inter-city (district). (2) The multi-level patent technology flow network in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region shows dynamic characteristics, with more and more mobile subjects participating in the patent technology flow network, some network nodes becoming closer to each other, and the trend of small group technology flow increasing significantly. (3) Enterprises are the core hub of the patent technology flow network in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Individual invention patent technology transfer also occupies a high proportion and the participation of universities and colleges in the patent technology flow network in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is gradually increasing. (4) Over time, the flow of patent technology in the 43 cities (districts) in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has gradually become active and no longer relies excessively on a particular city (district) for patent technology transfer.

Guided by the goal of "double carbon", what is the carbon emission reduction effect of the promotion and application of green technology in China?

"Carbon peaking and carbon neutralization" is an important measure to promote China's ecological and environmental protection and high-quality economic development, and the innovation and application of green technology are critical factors in achieving the "double carbon" goal. Based on the number of citations of green patents of listed enterprises in 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, this paper uses GGDP to replace traditional GDP and calculate carbon emission intensity. Based on the relevant panel data at the provincial level, this paper constructs a spatial Durbin model to analyze the impact mechanism of whether the promotion and application of green technologies promote regional carbon emission reduction. The specific research results are as follows: (1) Through regression of the core explanatory variables with a one-stage lag, it is verified that the promotion and application of green technology has a significant positive promoting effect on regional carbon emission reduction, and there are significant spatial spillover effects and "learning by doing" effects. (2) In the part of heterogeneity test, the impact of green technology promotion and application on carbon emission reduction presents apparent regional heterogeneity and factor endowment heterogeneity. (3) The mediating effect test verifies the mediating effect of energy structure and industrial structure on the influence of green technology promotion and application on regional carbon emission reduction. (4) In the part moderating effect test, it is verified that marketization level and new infrastructure construction have a positive moderating effect in their influencing process, financial development, and government support will weaken the influence of green technology promotion and application on carbon emission reduction effect, and human capital level has a nonlinear regulating effect. The research conclusions of this paper provide necessary enlightenment for the coordination and unification of China's economic transition to innovation-driven and green and low-carbon development.

How does environmental regulation affect real green technology innovation and strategic green technology innovation?

Although green technology is the core competitiveness of sustainable development, it is still crucial to identify whether green technology innovation under environmental constraints is strategic or real. Based on the R&D motivation of innovation subjects, the technical complexity of patents and the value of patents, this paper divides green technology innovation into real green technology innovation (RGTI) and strategic green technology innovation (SGTI). Based on a sample of 284 Chinese cities from 2004 to 2019, this study uses the panel fixed-effects model to analyze the impact and internal mechanisms of environmental regulation (ER) on urban RGTI and SGTI. The results show that a "U-shaped" relationship between ER and SGTI (RGTI); however, SGTI seems more sensitive to real ER. Additionally, high fiscal subsidies and industrial agglomeration are conducive to helping the ER induce RGTI. While under the condition of high foreign direct investment, ER is more likely to induce SGTI. Finally, the impact of ER on SGTI and RGTI is affected by heterogeneous factors, such as geographical location, resource endowment, pollution, and industrial scale. This study provides a theoretical and policy basis for governments to optimize the intensity of ER to facilitate the formation of real green innovations.

Identification and ranking of enablers to green technology adoption for manufacturing firms using an ISM-MICMAC approach

The debate about the adoption of green technologies (GTs) is trending due to increasing environmental concerns across the globe. In the context of the manufacturing industry, the research about enablers to GT adoption while using the ISM-MICMAC approach is scarce. Hence, the empirical analysis of GT enablers is being done in this study using a novel ISM-MICMAC method. Firstly, the research framework is developed by using the ISM-MICMAC methodology. Then, enablers to GTs were extracted from existing studies and validated by experts. Results showed that the most significant enabler to GT adoption is providing incentives for green manufacturers (1) in the ISM model. So, manufacturing firms must take initiatives for GTs to mitigate the negative environmental impact of industrialization without losing their earnings. This research brings substantial empirical scholarship to understand GT enablers and their contribution in GT enabler incorporation in the manufacturing industry of developing economies.

Have environmental regulations promoted green technological innovation in cities? Evidence from China's green patents

Under the background of global response to climate crisis and environmental pollution, environmental regulation plays an increasingly important role in green technology innovation. This paper uses data from 280 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2019 to empirically answer the question whether environmental regulation can improve the level of urban green technology innovation. It is found that environmental regulation has a significant positive effect on green technology innovation. Under the heterogeneity of economic geographical region and resource-based city, environmental regulation has positive promoting effect on urban green technology innovation. Heterogeneity results also show that environmental regulation significantly promotes green technology innovation in central and resource-based cities, but does not significantly promote green technology innovation in eastern and western cities and non-resource-based cities. Further research shows that environmental regulation can promote the level of green technology innovation through the two transmission mechanisms of government technology input and foreign direct investment. For the Chinese local government which is implementing the policy of green economic transformation, the formulation of scientific regional environmental policy is beneficial to improve the level of green technology innovation, increase government technology input and optimize the foreign investment environment.

How Does an Environmental Information Disclosure of a Buyer's Enterprise Affect Green Technological Innovations of Sellers' Enterprise?

With rapid economic development, green technological innovations are playing an important role in the sustainable development of enterprise. When the public is concerned about the environment and values environmental information disclosures, it makes enterprise fulfill their environmental responsibilities. In a supply chain, buyer enterprise' environmental information disclosures have a spillover effect on seller enterprise' investment decisions. This study investigates the relationship between environmental information disclosures by buyers and green technological innovations of sellers, furthermore, it analyzes the mechanism of this relationship. For this purpose, this study conducts a fixed regression analysis using the data pertaining to A-share listed companies in China from 2009 to 2019. The results show that buyer firms' environmental information disclosures can significantly promote the green technological innovations of seller enterprise. Furthermore, financing constraints, public concern, and internal control play a mediating role between buyer firms' environmental information disclosures and seller firms' green technological innovations. This study reveals several paths through which environmental information disclosures of buyers influence sellers' green technological innovations in supply chains.

Regional Differences and Spatial Convergence of Green Development in China

Green development is an important path to achieving economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Based on the comprehensive evaluation system of economy, environment, and society, this study used the entropy method, Theil index decomposition method, and spatial β-convergence model to study the differences and spatial convergence of China’s green development from 2010 to 2020. The research conclusions are as follows: First, China’s green development has an upward trend, and the eastern region is higher. Second, the regional differences in green development have the characteristic of rising first and then falling, and the differences within regions are the main source of imbalances in China’s green development. Third, China’s green development has obvious characteristics of spatial absolute β-convergence and spatial conditional β-convergence. Green innovation is conducive to narrowing the gaps in the convergence speed of regional green development. The research results comprehensively explain the characteristics of China’s green development and provide realistic evidence for China’s green development in the future.