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The Impact of Digital Innovation Cooperation on Green Total Factor Productivity of Chinese High-Energy-Consuming Enterprises

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  • Lin Zhang

    (School of Economics, GuiZhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025, China
    Department of Economics, Party School of Qingyuan Municipal Committee of C.P.C., Qingyuan 511500, China)

  • Shunyi Li

    (School of Economics, GuiZhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025, China)

Abstract

In this study, a sample of 702 high-energy-consuming A-share listed companies in China from 2007 to 2024 was used to construct digital innovation cooperation (DIC) based on enterprises’ digital technology patent cooperation data. The impact of DIC on firms’ green total factor productivity (GTFP) is empirically investigated. The findings indicate that DIC can considerably enhance the GTFP of high-energy-consuming enterprises (HECEs), and this conclusion is validated using traditional econometric methods and machine learning techniques. Mechanism analysis indicates that DIC promotes GTFP through two main channels: improving firms’ innovation quality and facilitating the green cognitive transformation of top executives. Heterogeneity analysis further highlights that the effect of DIC varies with institutional environment and resource endowment. When local governments place greater emphasis on ecological and environmental issues, the positive effect of DIC becomes more pronounced. Moreover, the positive impact of DIC on GTFP is stronger among energy-type firms. This paper clarifies the internal mechanisms and contextual conditions through which DIC affects GTFP, providing policy implications for promoting the green transformation of HECEs.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin Zhang & Shunyi Li, 2026. "The Impact of Digital Innovation Cooperation on Green Total Factor Productivity of Chinese High-Energy-Consuming Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-21, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:18:y:2026:i:4:p:1715-:d:1859623
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