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How Climate Commitment Impact Green Technology Innovation in Enterprises: From the Perspectives of Cross-border Knowledge Search and Digital Transformation

Author

Listed:
  • Mingyue Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institutes of Science and Development)

  • Yingming Li

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institutes of Science and Development
    School of Public Policy and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xiangjie Cao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institutes of Science and Development
    School of Public Policy and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Climate change poses a significant challenge to the sustainable survival of humanity, necessitating collaborative efforts from various stakeholders. Enterprises are not only the primary emitters of greenhouse gases but also the ultimate contributors of carbon reduction. Existing studies have established that innovative green low-carbon technologies are crucial for achieving climate goals. Building on this research, we have developed a moderated mediation model and utilized data from a survey of 781 Chinese enterprises to empirically test whether corporate climate commitment promote green technology innovation and whether this relationship is mediated by cross-border knowledge search. Furthermore, we investigate whether the level of digital transformation within enterprises accelerates this mediating process. The empirical findings indicate that corporate climate commitment significantly enhance green technology innovation, both directly and indirectly through the facilitation of cross-border knowledge search. There is no significant difference between proactive knowledge search and reactive knowledge search in the two mediation paths, suggesting that both can effectively mediate the impact of corporate climate commitment on green technology innovation. The degree of digital transformation positively moderates the relationship between corporate climate commitment and proactive knowledge search, while its moderating effect on the relationship between climate commitments and reactive knowledge search is not significant. These results imply that, under corporate climate commitment, a higher degree of digital transformation can facilitate the process of cross-border knowledge search. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of climate commitments, green technology innovation, and digital transformation, and they can assist in the implement corporate climate commitment goals while avoiding “green-washing” behavior by enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Mingyue Wang & Yingming Li & Xiangjie Cao, 2025. "How Climate Commitment Impact Green Technology Innovation in Enterprises: From the Perspectives of Cross-border Knowledge Search and Digital Transformation," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(6), pages 17940-17970, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:16:y:2025:i:6:d:10.1007_s13132-024-02453-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-024-02453-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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