Renewable energy technology innovation and ESG greenwashing: Evidence from supervised machine learning methods using patent text.

As global environmental pollution worsens, environmental governance has become a critical aspect of corporate development. In environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk management, how firms address the threat of greenwashing has emerged as a central focus in achieving sustainable green development. This study explores an under-researched factor contributing to ESG greenwashing: renewable energy technology innovation (RETI). Using supervised machine learning and text analysis methods, the study constructs a proxy variable for RETI and applies it to a sample of Chinese listed companies. The findings reveal that RETI reduces corporate ESG greenwashing, and this effect remains consistent after a series of endogeneity and robustness tests. The inhibitory impact of RETI on ESG greenwashing is more significant when board experiential diversity and media attention are higher. This study contributes to the theoretical basis and demonstration for the research on RETI, greenwashing, managerial experience, and corporate governance.

China's endeavor to reduce energy intensity: Does the green financial reform and innovation pilot zones policy matter?

The implementation of green financial reform and innovation pilot zones is a pivotal initiative aimed at directing financial resources more effectively towards green transformation and national sustainable development strategy. To this end, this study adopts a dual machine learning model to examine the effect of this pilot policy on energy intensity and the underlying mechanisms, drawing upon data from 254 cities in China spanning from 2006 to 2019. The conclusions obtained confirm that the establishment of these pilot zones has exerted a substantial impact on mitigating energy intensity. This inhibitory effect is particularly evident in cities with lower administrative levels, cities in western regions, smaller and medium-sized cities, and cities dominated by the secondary industry. It should be emphasized that the reduction in energy intensity is achieved through fostering green technology innovation and enhancing green financial development. The results not only provide empirical evidence for the effectiveness of green finance pilot policies in reducing energy intensity, thereby enriching the inclusive impact of financial innovation, but also offer practical insights for strengthening the green financial system and replicating and expanding the pilot zones.

Optimal environmental investment strategies for enterprise green technology innovation: An empirical study based on multiple drive models.

Enterprise green technology innovation (GTI) is vital for global sustainable development. However, the optimal strategies are needed to understand how environmental investments (EIs) impact enterprise GTI. This study adopts multiple drive models to explore the impact of EIs on the GTI of A-share listed enterprises in China from 2008 to 2022. Our results show that EIs significantly promote enterprise GTI, and these findings are robust. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) and enterprises in the eastern and western regions benefit more from EIs in promoting GTI. Labor-intensive combinations of EIs contribute to the growth of enterprise GTI quantity, while technology-intensive combinations of EIs are detrimental to the growth of enterprise GTI quality. Specifically, the intermediary conduction mechanism identifies that EIs substantially enhance enterprise GTI through financial constraints, research and development (R&D) investment, and environmental awareness. The threshold test mechanism demonstrates that EIs inhibit enterprise GTI when the price-to-book (P/B) ratio crosses a certain threshold; however, EIs promote enterprise GTI once the book-to-market (B/M) ratio crosses the threshold. Our findings can provide valuable references for governments and enterprises, helping to promote environmentally sustainable development and economic growth.

Transitioning from gridlock to sustainability: advancing transport strategies for eco-friendly solutions in high-income countries.

The study aims to comprehend sustainable behaviors in high-income nations, where human-environment interactions are crucial. Increased transportation needs in industrialized countries highlight the importance of environmental challenges affecting human well-being. Railway passenger carrier, automobile energy efficiency, technology breakthroughs, financial incentives, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) affect congestion and sustainability, which the study analyses for sound policy inferences in a panel of 28 high-income nations from 2000 to 2022. The panel ARDL estimates reveal that railway passenger carrier increases carbon emissions in the short run while it improves them over time, highlighting the importance of urban planning. Environmental pollution, energy use, transportation behavior (including PPPs), and technical innovation have an inverse connection, demonstrating the efficacy of energy-efficient transport methods, research and development, and renewable energy sources. However, economic incentives highly correspond with carbon-intensive habits, emphasizing the need for high-income countries to phase them out.

Dynamic simulation of policy-driven green technology innovation networks: Digital empowerment and collaborative efficiency.

To delve into the intricate dynamics of green innovation, it is imperative to establish a policy-driven green innovation network and optimize its multi-entity collaborative mechanism. Given the dynamic complexity of a technological innovation network composed of multiple entities, this paper examines the interactions among four subsystems based on system dynamics (SD) simulation: resource input, innovation performance, policy-driven, and digital empowerment subsystem. Furthermore, we analyze the combined effects of policy-driven initiatives and the role of digital platforms in facilitating innovation efficiency based on empirical evidence. The results indicate that: (1) Government can effectively promote green development by enforcing stronger environmental regulations, such as increasing carbon trading price, while enhancing the emission reduction efficiency of innovative products. (2) Increased per capita R&D investment, along with financial, tax, fiscal incentives for innovation investment, will increase the rate of innovation achievements. (3) Government should strengthen talent policy during anticipated increases in talent numbers and reduce the intensity of introductions during expected declines. (4) By implementing incentive policies to develop S&T platforms, government can broaden innovation network cooperation, promotes resource aggregation, and leverages multi-entity cohort effects.

Energy-consuming right transaction and low-carbon technology innovation: Evidence from Chinese listed enterprises.

To decarbonize the economy and spur high-quality development, formulating effective environmental policies to encourage low-carbon technology innovation is increasingly critical. While the energy-consuming right transaction represents a significant institutional breakthrough, its potential to motivate enterprises towards low-carbon technology innovation remains underexplored. To address this gap, our study utilizes panel data from Chinese listed enterprises between 2009 and 2020, employing the energy-consuming right transaction pilot policy to develop a difference-in-difference model that assesses the policy's impact on low-carbon innovation. Our findings indicate that the implementation of energy-consuming rights transaction has boosted low-carbon innovation efforts by 14.3 %. In-depth analysis shows that R&D investment and green agency costs are crucial mediators, with energy-consuming rights transaction enhancing R&D capital and personnel investments by 2.1 % and 1.5 %, respectively, and reducing green agency costs by 1.8 %. The study also uncovers the moderating role of digital finance, which amplifies the positive effects of energy-consuming rights transaction on low-carbon innovation. Moreover, energy-consuming rights transaction shows a more significant effect on improving low-carbon innovation for low energy-consuming and non-state-owned enterprises. These insights underscore the importance of precisely segmenting energy-consuming enterprises and devising customized policies to meet their unique needs, paving the way for a national energy-consuming right transaction market.

Government innovation subsidies, green technology innovation and carbon intensity of industrial firms.

Government innovation subsidies play an important role as a policy to incentivize green transformation of enterprises, but whether government innovation subsidies can reduce the carbon intensity of industrial enterprises is still unclear, the exploration of the impact pathway needs to be further developed. This study takes government innovation subsidies as the entry point. It takes Chinese industrial listed companies as the research object from 2007 to 2021, explores the internal mechanism of government innovation subsidies on carbon intensity of industrial enterprises, analyzes the heterogeneity of the impact of government innovation subsidies on the carbon intensity of government innovation subsidies, and finally compares the differences arising from the governance effects of the policies of government innovation subsidies and government non-innovation subsidies. The results of the study show that: 1. Government innovation subsidies are beneficial for improving the energy utilization efficiency of enterprises and significantly reducing carbon intensity, unit government innovation subsidies can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of industrial enterprises by 11.069 tons per 10,000 yuan of output value; 2. Government innovation subsidies can effectively incentivize industrial enterprises to carry out green technological innovations, and improve the quantity and quality of green technological innovation; 3. Government innovation subsidies can reduce carbon intensity of industrial enterprises by incentivizing the green technological innovations of enterprises to "increase the quantity and improve the quality". In fact, carbon intensity of industrial enterprises could be significantly reduced by incentivizing green technological innovation. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the greater the pressure of environmental tax and the higher the degree of market competition, the stronger is the effect of government innovation subsidies in reducing carbon intensity. The inclusion of government non-innovation subsidies in the control study shows that government innovation subsidies with innovation orientation motivate industrial enterprises to reduce carbon emissions significantly more than those subsidies without innovation orientation. In conclusion, this study provides a practical reference for the promotion of green technological innovation in enterprises to "increase the quantity and improve the quality" and reduce carbon intensity, as well as a revelation for the adoption of differentiated policies for different enterprises.

Fostering green technology innovation with green credit: Evidence from spatial quantile approach.

Green technology is an important path to achieve low-carbon development, and green credit provides financial support for green technology innovation. Existing literature often fails to pay attention to the important role of spatial factors and outliers in green technology innovation. Based on 2005-2022 provincial panel data in China, this paper uses a novel spatial lag quantile model to explore the impact of green credit on green technology innovation and its impact mechanism. The empirical results indicate that green credit exerts a greater positive impact on green technology in the provinces with moderate technical level. Technological innovation has the characteristic of spatial spillover. The spatial spillover of technology contributes more to green technology innovation in the provinces with low- and medium-tech level. This result has been proven even after robustness test of the changes in sample units, and the replacement of core variable values. Further mechanistic analysis demonstrates that banking market structure and enterprise R&D investment both produces the greater impact on green technology innovation in the low-tech provinces such as Qinghai, Ningxia, and Hainan. This article provides policy reference for local governments to formulate green finance policies and promote carbon neutrality strategies.

Empirical evidence on digitization enabling the transition to a green economy in China.

In the context of the new normal, enhancing digitalization to empower the transition to a green economy is a critical instrument to promote China's economic transition from virtual to real sectors. It is also a necessary approach to realize the high-quality economic development in China. Based on panel data of 282 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2011 to 2020, the study employs panel regression, spatial metrics, and other methods to explore the impact of urban digitization on the transition to a green economy from the dimensions of direct and indirect transmission mechanism, as well as heterogeneous effects. The findings reveal that digitalization not only exerts a positive effect on the green transition but also generates significant spatial spillover effects. The influence of digitization level on green economic transition exhibits notable regional heterogeneity. Advancement in digitization can foster green economic transition by catalyzing green technological innovation. While digitalization contributes to the green transition by optimizing the structure of energy consumption, its mediating effect is relatively modest. Therefore, it is essential to fortify the supply of digital innovative technology and strengthen digitalization and green technology innovation to jointly facilitate the transition to a green economy. This necessitates the implementation of differentiated development paths for digitization-enabled green economic transition in various regions.

How does executive green cognition affect enterprise green technology innovation? The mediating effect of ESG performance.

This study uses data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2021 to empirically examine the impact and action mechanisms of executives' green cognition on enterprises' green technology innovation (GTI). The results of Poisson regression show that executives' green cognition have a significant effect on promoting enterprise GTI, with the conclusion remaining valid after endogenous and robustness tests. Moreover, the mechanism test indicates that executive green cognition could promote enterprise GTI by enhancing their ESG performance. Further analyses find that both government environmental regulation and executive overseas experience have strengthened the promotion effect of executive green cognition on enterprise GTI. These findings provide a new action mechanism path for the relationship between executive cognition and corporate innovation and a micro-level theoretical basis for policy recommendations for promoting enterprises' GTI and ESG practices.

Cross border e-commerce development and enterprise digital technology innovation-empirical evidence from listed companies in China.

As the main form of digital trade, cross-border e-commerce plays an important role, allowing China to expand its opening-up and promote the optimal foreign trade structure. It also provides opportunities for Chinese enterprises to develop digital technology. From the perspective of the establishment of China's cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone (CBECPZ), this article uses the multi-period DID method to examine the effects of cross-border e-commerce on enterprise digital technology innovation based on listed companies in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2007 to 2020. The CBECPZ dramatically promotes enterprise digital technology innovation. The mechanism test shows that the CBECPZ promotes digital technology innovation by financing constraint alleviation, digital transformation, and producer service industry agglomeration. The heterogeneity test shows that the direct effect is more significant in the enterprises of large-scale, non-state-owned, with high ICT correlation and in areas with strong government resource allocation capabilities. The research findings have important reference value for how to utilize cross-border e-commerce to promote digital technology innovation, and they also provide directional references for other developing countries to develop cross-border e-commerce.

The impact of market integration on industrial green transformation: A case study of the yangtze river delta in China.

Regional integration plays an important role in dicarbon reduction and sustainability development. Based on dynamic panel model and spatial econometric model, this study analyzes the impact of market integration (MI) on industrial green transformation (IGT). The study finds that: (1) MI has a nonlinear relationship with the IGT. With the increasing of MI degree, the IGT shows the characteristic of first rising and then declining. (2) MI plays a role in the IGT mainly through industrial agglomeration, resource mismatch and green technological progress, respectively. (3) The impact of MI on IGT exhibits spatial heterogeneity. Although MI significantly promotes IGT in core cities, its impact on the IGT in peripheral cities is not significant. (4) The IGT has spatial spillover effect, and the improvement of MI degree in adjacent regions can also promote the IGT in the cities.

Measurement and evaluation of agricultural technological innovation efficiency in the Yellow River Basin of China under water resource constraints.

Improving the efficiency of agricultural technology innovation is an inevitable requirement for ecological protection and sustainable agricultural development in the Yellow River Basin. Under the background of prominent water resources constraints in the Yellow River Basin, the actual level and regional differences of agricultural technology innovation efficiency in the basin are analyzed, which will provide theoretical basis and data reference for the development plan of agricultural modernization in the Yellow River Basin. The construction of evaluation index system and the choice of method are the main factors that affect the measurement results. Therefore, this paper first selects input indicators such as water-saving technology level and output indicators such as total agricultural output value to construct an innovative evaluation index system of agricultural technology innovation efficiency in the Yellow River Basin under the consideration of water resources constraints. Secondly, the three-stage DEA model was used to eliminate the interference of external environmental variables, and the overall and regional agricultural technology innovation efficiency of the Yellow River Basin during 2011-2020 was measured with the data of prefecture-level cities under the constraint of water resources. Finally, from the perspective of the whole and the region, the spatio-temporal dynamic evolution law is analyzed and evaluated. The results show that: on the whole, the agricultural technology innovation efficiency in the Yellow River Basin is good and rising in a wave trend, the adjusted pure technology efficiency increases, while the scale efficiency decreases. From the regional perspective, although there is regional heterogeneity, the overall development trend is good, and the lower Yellow River has the highest efficiency, followed by the upper reaches and the middle reaches. From the perspective of the change law, the spatio-temporal evolution distribution shows a multi-polarization trend, and the different regions in the upper, middle and lower reaches show great differences. Therefore, promoting the innovation of water-saving technology and the integration of agricultural science and technology, promoting the integration of production, study and research, and strengthening the regional linkage mechanism are helpful to improve the competitiveness of agricultural science and technology and achieve sustainable agricultural development in the Yellow River Basin.

Impact of digital technology innovation on carbon intensity: evidence from China's manufacturing A-share listed enterprises.

Current studies do not provide a consensus on whether digital technology innovation can reduce enterprise carbon intensity despite the rise of the digital economy. This paper examines the role and influence pathway of digital technology innovation on enterprise carbon intensity using data from A-share listed enterprises in China's manufacturing industry from 2012 to 2021. The findings indicate that (1) digital technology innovation has been found to significantly reduce enterprise carbon intensity, as confirmed by numerous robustness and endogeneity tests. However, its inhibitory effect on carbon intensity shows a marginal decreasing trend. (2) In the heterogeneity analysis, it was found that digital technology innovation significantly reduces the carbon intensity of consuming coal, coke, kerosene, and diesel. From various perspectives, including enterprise, industry, and external environment, there are significant differences in the carbon reduction effects of digital technology innovation. (3) The analysis of impact paths reveals that digital technology innovation can affect enterprise carbon intensity through three paths: improving productivity, enhancing green innovation efficiency, and adjusting energy consumption. (4) Upon further analysis, it was discovered that the spillover effect of digital technology innovation is more pronounced in the industry cohort of enterprises. Additionally, digital technology innovation plays a positive role in enhancing enterprise ESG performance. The paper's findings offer empirical evidence and decision-making references for the government to develop reasonable policies for reducing carbon emissions, promoting green and low-carbon enterprise transformation, and actively and steadily achieving the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

From bits to green: Unraveling the digital economy's influence on natural resource efficiency.

This study explores the impact of the digital economy (DE) on natural resource efficiency (NRE) across 275 Chinese cities between 2011 and 2021. Through a comprehensive empirical analysis, we find that the DE significantly positively affects NRE. A key moderating factor in this relationship is green technological innovation (GTI), focusing on the quality rather than the quantity of green technology. Our study also uncovers regional variations of moderating effect. Additionally, we identify several mechanisms through which the DE contributes to enhanced NRE, including the transformation of industrial structure and improvements in green total factor productivity. A detailed heterogeneity analysis shows that the DE's impact on NRE varies according to city-specific factors such as natural resource endowment, city size, environmental regulations, and administrative levels. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of how the DE influences NRE at the urban level, contributing to the broader discourse on sustainable development in the digital age. Our research offers policy recommendations and potential pathways for cities to leverage the DE for greater natural resource efficiency.

Blessing or curse? The role of digital technology innovation in carbon emission efficiency.

Digital technology advancement provides a significant impetus to achieve China's "dual-carbon" goals, yet it also gives rise to a series of challenges. Therefore, studying the relationship between digital technology innovation and carbon emission efficiency is of paramount importance. This study theoretically analyzes and empirically tests the influence of digital technology innovation (DTI) on total factor carbon emission efficiency (TFCE) using panel data from 268 Chinese cities between 2006 and 2021. The results indicate that: (1) DTI exhibits a "U-shaped" pattern on urban TFCE, with a decrease followed by an increase. (2) Conventional technological innovation (TI) also displays a "U-shaped" relationship with TFCE, with the turning point occurring earlier than that of DTI. DTI surpasses TI in bringing about later-stage improvements in carbon emission efficiency. (3) Mechanism tests reveal that digital technology innovation indirectly affects TFCE through energy effects, technological effects, structural effects, and regulatory effects. (4) The impact of DTI on urban TFCE varies significantly due to differences in geographical location and resource endowments. (5) The development of urban polycentricity advances the turning point at which DTI enhances TFCE while amplifying both the initial "pro-carbon" effect and the subsequent "carbon reduction" effect of DTI. (6) DTI has a spatial spillover effect on urban TFCE. This study provides empirical evidence and policy recommendations for policymakers to advance the digitalization, greening, and decarbonization transformation of cities.

How does green finance impact carbon emissions in China: Evidence from the fintech perspective.

In light of China's objectives for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, there is an opportunity for fintech to leverage its technological advantages and enhance its integration with green finance (GF). This can bring about enhanced coverage and precision of financial services for green industries, facilitating the transformation towards a sustainable, greener, and low-carbon real economy. We investigate how fintech development influences the carbon emission reduction effects of GF utilizing a two-way fixed effects model with a panel dataset covering 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020. Our findings indicate that the negative impact of GF on carbon emissions (CE) is heightened in areas with high levels of fintech development. Furthermore, we notice regional disparities in how fintech development impacts the effectiveness of GF in reducing CE. Specifically, fintech has a statistically significant impact in the central and western regions, whereas its significance is absent in the eastern region. Lastly, our mechanism analysis reveals that fintech plays a vital role in enhancing GF's capacity to mitigate CE, which is achieved through channels of promoting green technology innovation (GTI), alleviating corporate financing constraints (FC), and optimizing energy structure (ES). These findings provide compelling evidence for the positive effect of fintech on the environment and offer justification for promoting the development of fintech and GF.

Digital economy and the synergistic governance of pollutants and carbon emissions: Facilitation or obstruction?

As an emerging force enabling high-quality economic development, digital economy (DE) still requires further investigation regarding its impact on synergistic governance of pollutants and carbon emissions (SGPCE). This study examines the impact of DE on SGPCE using two-way fixed effects model, intermediary effect model, and spatial Durbin model using provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020. The research reveals that: (1) DE has a significant promoting effect on SGPCE. (2) Enhancing the degree of green technology innovation is a crucial means of transmission for DE to propel SGPCE. (3) DE additionally exerts a constructive influence on SGPCE in adjacent regions, manifesting a spatial spillover effect. (4) Furthermore, DE demonstrates a notably heightened impact on SGPCE in the western region with respect to regional heterogeneity. Additionally, in the realm of dimension heterogeneity, the industrial digitization yields more favorable dividends for SGPCE compared to digital industrialization. The above conclusions provide novel insights and empirical evidence to validate the connection between DE and SGPCE. It also gives new policy recommendations for China to combat pollution prevention and climate warming under the wave of global digitization.

Centering Digital Health Equity During Technology Innovation: Protocol for a Comprehensive Scoping Review of Evidence-Based Tools and Approaches.

BACKGROUND: In the rush to develop health technologies for the COVID-19 pandemic, the unintended consequence of digital health inequity or the inability of priority communities to access, use, and receive equal benefits from digital health technologies was not well examined. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review will examine tools and approaches that can be used during digital technology innovation to improve equitable inclusion of priority communities in the development of digital health technologies. The results from this study will provide actionable insights for professionals in health care, health informatics, digital health, and technology development to proactively center equity during innovation. METHODS: Based on the Arksey and O'Malley framework, this scoping review will consider priority communities' equitable involvement in digital technology innovation. Bibliographic databases in health, medicine, computing, and information sciences will be searched. Retrieved citations will be double screened against the inclusion and exclusion criteria using Covidence (Veritas Health Innovation). Data will be charted using a tailored extraction tool and mapped to a digital health innovation pathway defined by the Centre for eHealth Research roadmap for eHealth technologies. An accompanying narrative synthesis will describe the outcomes in relation to the review's objectives. RESULTS: This scoping review is currently in progress. The search of databases and other sources returned a total of 4868 records. After the initial screening of titles and abstracts, 426 studies are undergoing dual full-text review. We are aiming to complete the full-text review stage by May 30, 2024, data extraction in October 2024, and subsequent synthesis in December 2024. Funding was received on October 1, 2023, from the Centre for Health Equity Incubator Grant Scheme, University of Melbourne, Australia. CONCLUSIONS: This paper will identify and recommend a series of validated tools and approaches that can be used by health care stakeholders and IT developers to produce equitable digital health technology across the Centre for eHealth Research roadmap. Identified evidence gaps, possible implications, and further research will be discussed. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/53855.

How does digital finance reduce carbon emissions intensity? Evidence from chain mediation effect of production technology innovation and green technology innovation.

The digitalization of finance drives economic development and plays a crucial role in energy conservation and carbon emission reduction. Utilizing carbon emissions data from 2011 to 2020, we find that digital finance development can mitigate carbon emissions intensity (CEI) by approximately 0.14 %. Then, we employ a diverse set of robustness and endogeneity tests to assess the reliability of the empirical findings. Moreover, the study delves into how digital finance impacts CEI through production technology innovation (PTI) and green technology innovation (GTI). The results indicate a positive effect of PTI on CEI. GTI exerts a negative influence on CEI. In addition, there is a chain mediation effect between PTI and GTI in the baseline path. Finally, the impact of digital finance on CEI exhibits apparent regional heterogeneity.