Digital economic, resource curse and the development of low-carbon transformation

• Published in: Resources policy Vol. 91; p. 104931
• Main Authors: Ma, Shiyu, Gao, Yuguo, Li, Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2024
• Subjects: Digital economic governance; Green technological innovation; Listed companies; Low-carbon transformational evolution; Resource curse; Low-carbon transformational evolution; Listed companies; Resource curse; Green technological innovation; Digital economic governance
• ISSN: 0301-4207; 1873-7641
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.104931

In the evolving digital economy (DE) landscape, businesses face a dynamic mix of challenges and opportunities. Many studies argue that the abundance of digital resources may lead to a phenomenon known as the “resource curse (RC)," where organizations struggle to effectively leverage these resources to achieve their strategic goals, particularly in the crucial realm of low-carbon transformation and progress. This inquiry delves into the empirical examination of DE's influence and the underlying mechanisms on enterprises' low-carbon transformational evolution (LCTE), drawing upon a dataset of A-share companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2011 to 2020. The study yields several insights: firstly, DE facilitates LCTE, with a pronounced enhancement effect in eastern locales, non-resource-intensive municipalities, and metropolitan hubs; secondly, RC is found to exert a negative moderating influence on the stimulative impact DE has on LCTE; thirdly, DE augments LCTE through an escalation of corporate green technological innovation (GTI) while RC dampens DE's positive influence on GTI. While DE substantially contributes to the progress in LCTE, it presents various potential perils and challenges. It is incumbent upon business enterprises to strategically leverage DE advantages, circumvent its prospective pitfalls, and accomplish the objective of low-carbon transition, a task that demands immediate scholarly attention and investigation.
•Chinese A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen are explored from 2011 to 2022.•Digital economy and governance can promote low carbon transformation.•Resource curse can negatively regulate the promotion effect of digital economy on corporate green innovation.•Resource Curse inhibits the promotion effect of digital economy on corporate green innovation.