The Power of Collaboration: How Does Green Innovation Network Affect Urban Green Total Factor Productivity?

Hongrui Jiao, Hongbing Deng () and Shengmei Hu
Additional contact information
Hongrui Jiao: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Hongbing Deng: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Shengmei Hu: School of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-29

Abstract: Global climate change has necessitated a transition to sustainable development, prompting nations to prioritize green total factor productivity (GTFP) as a key indicator of economic and environmental efficiency. This study examines the role of the green innovation network (GIN) in enhancing urban GTFP within China’s Yangtze River Delta (YRD)—a region pivotal to national economic growth and ecological sustainability. Using data from 41 cities spanning 2011 to 2020, we constructed the GIN based on inter-city green cooperative patents and analyzed the network positions of cities using a social network analysis (SNA). Urban GTFP was assessed through the Super-SBM model, and two-way fixed-effects panel models, along with a threshold effect model, were applied to evaluate the impacts of GIN on GTFP. The findings reveal that stronger network positions within the GIN significantly enhance urban GTFP, with green finance further amplifying this effect. These results provide actionable insights for policymakers in developing countries, highlighting the importance of integrated innovation strategies and enhanced green financial systems to promote sustainable urban development.

Keywords: green total factor productivity; green innovation network; green finance; SNA method; panel threshold model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/433/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/2/433/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:2:p:433-:d:1562660

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().