2023, 38(3): 82-97.
Abstract:
The digital transformation driven by enterprises is an important task to further promote the construction of digital China during the 14th Five-Year Plan period in China. Taking the data of Chinese listed companies as research samples, with the help of text data mining methods and econometric models, this paper comprehensively explores the impact of digital transformation on production efficiency and environmental efficiency, its channels of action and improvement paths. It is found that the current digital transformation of Chinese enterprises is "production oriented" rather than "environmentally friendly", that is, it can significantly improve enterprise productivity and is not conducive to environmental governance. Enterprise digital transformation improves production efficiency by improving corporate governance, reducing information asymmetry and innovation incentives, but digital transformation increases enterprise operating costs, which is not conducive to environmental efficiency improvement. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of enterprise digital transformation on production efficiency and environmental efficiency is more obvious in resource-based cities, eastern cities, state-owned enterprises and high pollution industries. Environmental policies can improve the impact of enterprise digital transformation on the environment to a certain extent, and the improvement effect of low-carbon city pilot policies is the most significant. Robustness test indicates that blockchain technology and digital platform applications have significantly improved enterprise production efficiency, while artificial intelligence technology and big data technology may become technical means for enterprises to avoid environmental disclosure. Digital transformation reduces the willingness of environmental governance actions, internal environmental management and environmental supervision certification. The national big data pilot zone and the pilot policy of "BRoadband China" have shown a consistent impact on the production efficiency and environmental efficiency of enterprises, supporting the effect of enterprise digital transformation. Therefore, we should continue to promote the digital transformation of enterprises, strengthen the green orientation of digital technology, enhance the regional cooperation ability between different cities and enterprises, and give full play to the synergy effect between policies to achieve the win-win goal of economic growth and environmental protection.