Research on the Impact of Digital Transformation on Carbon Performance of Chinese Manufacturing Enterprises

This study constructs a theoretical model to examine the relationship between digital transformation and carbon performance of manufacturing enterprises, with a focus on the roles of green innovation capability, environmental decentralization, and slack resource. Using the data of Chinese manufacturing enterprises listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares from 2011 to 2020, this study employs the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) method to conduct analyses. The results show that digital transformation can significantly improve carbon performance, and the robustness tests support the result. Green innovation capability plays a partial mediating effect in the impact of digital transformation on carbon performance. Environmental decentralization plays a moderating effect in the impact of digital transformation on carbon performance, and this moderating effect is partly achieved through the mediating effect of green innovation capability. Different types of slack resource play different moderating effects in the impact of digital transformation on carbon performance. Specifically, absorbed slack resource plays a negative moderating effect, while unabsorbed slack resource plays a positive moderating effect. The findings expand the theoretical research on the impact factors of carbon performance and provide new insights and decision-making frameworks for manufacturing enterprises to improve carbon performance.