Do Forestry Innovation Ecosystems Contribute to the Green Economy?—Based on SBM-GML and Two-Way Fixed Effect Models

Tingyang Huang, Haoyu Wang () and Fang Liu ()
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Tingyang Huang: School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Haoyu Wang: School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
Fang Liu: School of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-22

Abstract: Although the importance of forestry has been widely recognized, research on the impact of forestry innovation ecosystems on green economic development is still in its infancy, and existing research is limited. This paper focuses on 31 provinces in China and conducts an empirical analysis using data from 2012 to 2021. It provides empirical insights on how forestry innovation ecosystems affect green economic growth, thus addressing the gap of existing research. The findings are as follows: (1) Forestry innovation ecosystems have a significant positive effect on green total factor productivity. (2) Mechanism analysis reveals a significant positive effect of forestry innovation ecosystems on the technical efficiency index, but no significant effect on technical progress. (3) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that in eastern and central regions, forestry innovation ecosystems do not significantly impact green total factor productivity or the paths of technical efficiency and technical progress. However, in western regions, forestry innovation ecosystems have a significant effect of green total factor productivity and technical efficiency, while technical progress remains unaffected. In conclusion, the forestry innovation ecosystems play a significant role in promoting green economic development, particularly in the western regions of China. The potential contributions of this research are twofold: (1) This study addresses this gap by providing empirical insights on how forestry innovation ecosystems influence green economic growth. (2) This paper also investigates the mechanisms by which forestry innovation ecosystems impact green development through various types of innovation, offering practical references for stakeholders involved in forestry and sustainable development. Differentiated policies should be assigned to address regional disparities, with increased support for forestry innovation in the west and the encouragement of green technology investments in the east and center. Additionally, promoting technical progress through policy innovation, international cooperation, and enhanced intellectual property protection is essential to maximizing the benefits of forestry innovation ecosystems.

Keywords: forestry innovation ecosystem; green economy; green total factor productivity (GTFP) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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