Research on the impact of carbon trading on enterprises' green technology innovation

Abstract

By treating the implementation of China's carbon trading policy as a quasi-natural experiment, the study analyzes data from A-share listed companies on China's Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges between 2010 and 2023. Utilizing a multi-temporal Difference-in-Differences (DID) model, multiple intermediary effect model, moderation effect model and threshold effect model, we probe to verifies whether carbon trading policy can generate innovation incentive effects and investigate the transmission mechanisms. Empirical results show that carbon trading policy are beneficial for the green technology upgrading of enterprises and that this incentivizing effect is persistent. Mechanism analysis reveals that the mediating variables of financing constraints and R&D investment exhibit a chain mediation effect and nonlinear characteristics. Once the thresholds of financing constraints and R&D investment are surpassed, the green innovation effect of carbon trading policy is significantly enhanced. Digital finance has a moderating effect on the chain-multiple mediation transmission mechanism. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the chain mediation effect is mainly observed in large-scale enterprises and enterprises in central regions. This paper offers theoretical support for evaluating carbon trading policy based on the micro-enterprise level and provides a scientific basis for how to efficiently play the function of carbon trading policy in practice, which helps to enhance the carbon trading policy and is of great practical significance for improving the operational efficiency of the national carbon trading market.