Digital Transformation and Corporate Carbon Emissions: Evidence from China’s Listed Companies

Xiaojuan Cheng, Zihao Zhang, Duojun He () and Chunguang Quan
Additional contact information
Xiaojuan Cheng: School of Accounting, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, China
Zihao Zhang: School of Accounting, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, China
Duojun He: School of Business Administration, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, China
Chunguang Quan: School of Economics and Management, Changsha University, Changsha 410022, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-25

Abstract: Digital transformation is a crucial engine empowering enterprises for green, low-carbon development and a key pathway towards achieving China’s dual carbon goals. To investigate the carbon-emission reduction effects and mechanisms of corporate digital transformation, the panel data of China’s A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2021 were utilized to empirically examine the impact and mechanisms of digital transformation on corporate carbon emissions in this study, based on the dynamic capability and resource-based theory. The results show that the following: (1) Digital transformation demonstrates significant potential in reducing corporate carbon emissions; (2) The emission reduction effects are primarily achieved through the three key mechanisms of enhancing green innovation capabilities, alleviating financing constraints, and optimizing human capital structures; (3) The effect of digital transformation on carbon emission reductions demonstrates significant heterogeneity across enterprise characteristics and geographical locations, with particularly notable impacts observed in high-tech firms, state-owned enterprises, carbon-intensive industries, and companies located in eastern China. Therefore, we should vigorously promote the process of digital transformation of enterprises and implement targeted policy measures to support corporate green innovation, enhance financing accessibility, and optimize human capital structure. Simultaneously, we should develop differentiated emission reduction mechanisms that account for enterprise-specific characteristics, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of digital transformation in achieving dual-carbon objectives.

Keywords: digital transformation; corporate carbon emissions; influence mechanism; dual carbon target (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/2071-1050/17/9/3944/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/3944/ (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:9:p:3944-:d:1644207

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 ().