ESG performance and green innovation in a digital transformation perspective

In the era of the digital economy, companies strive to promote green innovation by enhancing their ESG performance, aiming to create new advantages for high-quality corporate development. We investigate the influence and mechanism of corporate digital transformation, ESG performance, and green innovation using data from Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed enterprises in China between 2012 and 2021. The study reveals that good ESG performance significantly fosters green innovation. Additionally, digital transformation plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between ESG performance and green innovation, which remains consistent even after conducting a series of robustness tests. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for improving the top-level planning of “Digital Nation,” promoting the development of ESG concepts, and achieving “carbon peaking,” and “carbon neutrality.”