State Ownership and Green Innovation

Abstract

Climate change and digital transformation have significant effects on all aspects of society. With the increasing importance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that represent governments' stand to respond to environmental challenges, this study investigates how state ownership affects green innovation and how digital transformation factors play a role at both the firm level and the provincial level. Based on the data analysis of Chinese listed firms between 2008 and 2021, we find that state ownership hinders green innovation. However, with a high degree of digital transformation at the firm level and digital innovation capability at the province level, the state ownership and green innovation relationship can be weakened. Overall, this study advances both green innovation and SOE innovation literature by bridging state ownership, green innovation, and digital-related factors. We advocate government and SOE managers to invest more in digital transformation and improve their digital capabilities for better green innovation output.