Impact of Digital Transformation on Enterprise Carbon Intensity: The Moderating Role of Digital Information Resources

Guoge Yang, Fengyi Wang, Feng Deng () and Xianhong Xiang
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Guoge Yang: Xinjiang Innovation Management Research Center, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Fengyi Wang: Xinjiang Innovation Management Research Center, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Feng Deng: Xinjiang Innovation Management Research Center, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
Xianhong Xiang: Xinjiang Innovation Management Research Center, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-26

Abstract: In the context of China’s “digital power” strategy, the realization of a green and low-carbon shift in manufacturing has become a necessary condition to promote the economy, and the digital factor has increasingly become a new driving force. The text mining and IPCC methods were used to measure manufacturing enterprise digitalization and the level of enterprise carbon emission intensity from 2011 to 2021, respectively. This study then explored the impact of digitalization on manufacturing enterprise carbon emission intensity based on the least squares method model and instrumental variable method model. This research comes to three conclusions. (1) Digitalization can significantly reduce the enterprise carbon emission intensity of China’s manufacturing industry, and the influence shows a “marginal increase.” (2) Notably, a mechanism analysis indicates the intermediary effect sizes of four crucial intermediaries: green technology innovation > financing constraint > information asymmetry > energy use efficiency. Interestingly, digital information resources positively moderate the positive effect of digitalization on carbon emission intensity through three paths: financing constraints, green technology innovation, and information asymmetry. (3) The influence shows evident signs of heterogeneity—as environmental regulation, financial development, executive education, and R&D quality advance, the inhibiting effect of digitalization on enterprise carbon emission intensity becomes more pronounced. Finally, corresponding policy suggestions are proposed.

Keywords: digital transformation; carbon emission intensity; information asymmetry; green innovation; digital information resources; financing constraints (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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