IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i12p5236-d1418455.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can Digital Transformation Reduce Enterprise Carbon Intensity? An Empirical Analysis of Chinese Manufacturers

Author

Listed:
  • Yu Chen

    (School of Economics and Management, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Science Avenue 136, Zhengzhou 450001, China)

  • Shuangshuang Liu

    (School of Economics and Management, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Science Avenue 136, Zhengzhou 450001, China)

  • Yanqiu Xiao

    (College of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Science Avenue 136, Zhengzhou 450001, China)

  • Qian Zhou

    (School of Economics, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Nanhu Avenue 182, Wuhan 430073, China)

Abstract

Reducing the carbon intensity of enterprises will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the negative impacts of global climate change, and protect the ecological environment. To this end, based on the data of A-share listed companies in China’s manufacturing industry from 2012 to 2022, the paper calculates the carbon emission intensity of enterprises, and at the same time, with the help of crawler technology, it crawls the keywords of digital transformation (DT) in the annual reports of the listed companies, portrays the intensity of DT of enterprises, and examines the impact of the level of digitization of enterprises on the carbon intensity of enterprises, along with the heterogeneous role and the mechanism of the role of the level of digitization of enterprises. The results of the study show that the digital revolution notably reduces the carbon emission intensity of enterprises. The inhibitory effect of DT is more significant for non-state-owned firms, industries with high market concentration, and regions with low environmental regulations. The findings of the mechanism test show that DT decreases the intensity of corporate carbon emissions by encouraging green innovation, with substantive green innovation being the main transmission channel behind strategic green innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu Chen & Shuangshuang Liu & Yanqiu Xiao & Qian Zhou, 2024. "Can Digital Transformation Reduce Enterprise Carbon Intensity? An Empirical Analysis of Chinese Manufacturers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-19, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:12:p:5236-:d:1418455
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/12/5236/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/12/5236/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xufang Li & Dijun Fan & Zhuoxuan Li & Mingzhu Pan, 2023. "The Impact Mechanism of Digitalization on Green Innovation of Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises: An Empirical Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-22, June.
    2. Dmitry Ivanov & Alexandre Dolgui & Boris Sokolov, 2019. "The impact of digital technology and Industry 4.0 on the ripple effect and supply chain risk analytics," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(3), pages 829-846, February.
    3. Chen, Huanyu & Yi, Jizheng & Chen, Aibin & Peng, Duanxiang & Yang, Jieqiong, 2023. "Green technology innovation and CO2 emission in China: Evidence from a spatial-temporal analysis and a nonlinear spatial durbin model," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    4. Wang, Jianlong & Wang, Weilong & Wu, Haitao & Liu, Yong, 2023. "Exploring the effects of manufacturing servitization on enterprise energy conservation and emissions reduction moderated by digital transformation," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    5. Lin, Boqiang & Huang, Chenchen, 2023. "How will promoting the digital economy affect electricity intensity?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    6. Qian, Simeng, 2024. "The effect of ESG on enterprise value under the dual carbon goals: From the perspectives of financing constraints and green innovation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 318-331.
    7. Noordewier, Thomas G. & Lucas, Marilyn T., 2020. "On being green and profitable: Does industry context matter?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    8. Pan, Yuling & Dong, Feng, 2023. "Green finance policy coupling effect of fossil energy use rights trading and renewable energy certificates trading on low carbon economy: Taking China as an example," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 658-679.
    9. Cheng, Qiongwen & Zhao, Xiaoge & Zhong, Shihu & Xing, Yudan, 2024. "Digital financial inclusion, resident consumption, and urban carbon emissions in China: A transaction cost perspective," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1336-1352.
    10. Ying Song & Lu Yang & Stavros Sindakis & Sakshi Aggarwal & Charles Chen, 2023. "Analyzing the Role of High-Tech Industrial Agglomeration in Green Transformation and Upgrading of Manufacturing Industry: the Case of China," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(4), pages 3847-3877, December.
    11. Ben Lahouel, Béchir & Taleb, Lotfi & Ben Zaied, Younes & Managi, Shunsuke, 2021. "Does ICT change the relationship between total factor productivity and CO2 emissions? Evidence based on a nonlinear model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    12. Zhang Dong & Sana Ullah, 2023. "Towards a Green Economy in China? Examining the Impact of the Internet of Things and Environmental Regulation on Green Growth," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-15, August.
    13. Munshi Naser Ibne Afzal & Jeffrey Gow & Ashiqur Rahman, 2019. "Economic and Internet Growth Effect on Electricity Consumption in the BRICS Countries," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 25(3), pages 339-346, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lin, Boqiang & Ullah, Sami, 2023. "Towards the goal of going green: Do green growth and innovation matter for environmental sustainability in Pakistan," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    2. Zhao, Shuang & Zhang, Liqun & Peng, Lin & Zhou, Haiyan & Hu, Feng, 2024. "Enterprise pollution reduction through digital transformation? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    3. Ackermann, Klaus & Awaworyi Churchill, Sefa & Smyth, Russell, 2023. "High-speed internet access and energy poverty," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PB).
    4. Charfeddine, Lanouar & Umlai, Mohamed, 2023. "ICT sector, digitization and environmental sustainability: A systematic review of the literature from 2000 to 2022," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    5. Lin, Boqiang & Xu, Chongchong, 2024. "The effects of industrial robots on firm energy intensity: From the perspective of technological innovation and electrification," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    6. Ran, Qiying & Yang, Xiaodong & Yan, Hongchuan & Xu, Yang & Cao, Jianhong, 2023. "Natural resource consumption and industrial green transformation: Does the digital economy matter?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Tao, Miaomiao, 2024. "Dynamics between electric vehicle uptake and green development: Understanding the role of local government competition," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 227-240.
    8. Yongjian Wang & Fei Wang & Wenbo Li, 2023. "Effects of the Carbon Credit Policy on the Capital-Constrained Manufacturer’s Remanufacturing and Emissions Decisions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-17, February.
    9. Jiang, Yihuo & Ni, Hongliang & Ni, Yihan & Guo, Xiaomei, 2023. "Assessing environmental, social, and governance performance and natural resource management policies in China's dual carbon era for a green economy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    10. Zhongdong Yu & Wei Liu & Liming Chen & Serkan Eti & Hasan Dinçer & Serhat Yüksel, 2019. "The Effects of Electricity Production on Industrial Development and Sustainable Economic Growth: A VAR Analysis for BRICS Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-13, October.
    11. Dmitry Ivanov, 2022. "Viable supply chain model: integrating agility, resilience and sustainability perspectives—lessons from and thinking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 319(1), pages 1411-1431, December.
    12. Bacha, Radia & Gasmi, Farid, 2022. "The broadband diffusion process and its determinants in Algeria: A simultaneous estimation," TSE Working Papers 22-1309, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    13. Samadhiya, Ashutosh & Yadav, Sanjeev & Kumar, Anil & Majumdar, Abhijit & Luthra, Sunil & Garza-Reyes, Jose Arturo & Upadhyay, Arvind, 2023. "The influence of artificial intelligence techniques on disruption management: Does supply chain dynamism matter?," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    14. Ortiz-Barrios, Miguel & Arias-Fonseca, Sebastián & Ishizaka, Alessio & Barbati, Maria & Avendaño-Collante, Betty & Navarro-Jiménez, Eduardo, 2023. "Artificial intelligence and discrete-event simulation for capacity management of intensive care units during the Covid-19 pandemic: A case study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    15. Sachin Kumar Mangla & Yiğit Kazançoğlu & Abdullah Yıldızbaşı & Cihat Öztürk & Ahmet Çalık, 2022. "A conceptual framework for blockchain‐based sustainable supply chain and evaluating implementation barriers: A case of the tea supply chain," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(8), pages 3693-3716, December.
    16. Ivanov, Dmitry & Dolgui, Alexandre & Sokolov, Boris, 2022. "Cloud supply chain: Integrating Industry 4.0 and digital platforms in the “Supply Chain-as-a-Service”," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    17. Yuling Sun & Xiaomei Song & Yihao Jiang & Jian Guo, 2023. "Strategy Analysis of Fresh Agricultural Enterprises in a Competitive Circumstance: The Impact of Blockchain and Consumer Traceability Preferences," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, February.
    18. Li, Ying & Dai, Jing & Cui, Li, 2020. "The impact of digital technologies on economic and environmental performance in the context of industry 4.0: A moderated mediation model," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    19. Zhang, Yingying & Feng, Nianqiao & Wang, Xinpeng, 2024. "Can the green finance pilot policy promote the low-carbon transformation of the economy？," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 1074-1086.
    20. Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Hassan, M. Kabir & Zaied, Younes Ben & Managi, Shunsuke, 2023. "Nexus between green finance, environmental degradation, and sustainable development: Evidence from developing countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:12:p:5236-:d:1418455. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.