Can New Quality Productivity Drive the Low-Carbon Transformation of Carbon-Intensive Industries? Macro and Micro Evidence from China
Reducing carbon dioxide emissions within carbon-intensive industries is a critical strategy to effectively combat global warming. The accelerated cultivation and enhancement of new quality productivity has created new momentum directed towards industrial low-carbon transformation. Using data from a...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3278 |
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| author | Hui Wang Jie Zhou Kuiying Gu Feng Dong |
| author_facet | Hui Wang Jie Zhou Kuiying Gu Feng Dong |
| author_sort | Hui Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Reducing carbon dioxide emissions within carbon-intensive industries is a critical strategy to effectively combat global warming. The accelerated cultivation and enhancement of new quality productivity has created new momentum directed towards industrial low-carbon transformation. Using data from a sample of Chinese provinces and enterprises between 2011 and 2022, this study quantifies, evaluates, and explores the influence and mechanisms of new quality productivity on the low-carbon transformation of carbon-intensive industries. The research findings show that: (1) Fostering new quality productivity effectively promotes the low-carbon transformation of carbon-intensive industries and plays a positive, empowering role. Industrial innovation, digital stimulation, technological innovation, and green empowerment all support the low-carbon transformation of carbon-intensive industries, with their respective impacts gradually decreasing in turn. (2) Mechanism analysis confirms a chain transmission mechanism of “new quality productivity—environmental protection investment—green innovation—the transformation of carbon-intensive industries” at the macro-provincial level. In micro-level carbon-intensive enterprises, a positive U-shaped relationship between new quality productivity and low-carbon transformation of carbon-intensive industries is evident, and the main pathways include increasing low-carbon, energy-saving investment and improving the ESG performance of high-carbon emission enterprises. (3) Advancing transformation is more pronounced in central and western areas, high-carbon areas, non-carbon trading pilot areas, and non-energy-rich ecologically fragile areas. The government and enterprises should take advantage of the development opportunities of new quality productivity and adopt low-carbon behaviors to promote transformational development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9a0fa56e12bc401aa49aef67950efdc4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-9a0fa56e12bc401aa49aef67950efdc42025-08-20T03:17:07ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011813327810.3390/en18133278Can New Quality Productivity Drive the Low-Carbon Transformation of Carbon-Intensive Industries? Macro and Micro Evidence from ChinaHui Wang0Jie Zhou1Kuiying Gu2Feng Dong3School of Economics and Management, Leshan Normal University, Leshan 614000, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Leshan Normal University, Leshan 614000, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou 215021, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066000, ChinaReducing carbon dioxide emissions within carbon-intensive industries is a critical strategy to effectively combat global warming. The accelerated cultivation and enhancement of new quality productivity has created new momentum directed towards industrial low-carbon transformation. Using data from a sample of Chinese provinces and enterprises between 2011 and 2022, this study quantifies, evaluates, and explores the influence and mechanisms of new quality productivity on the low-carbon transformation of carbon-intensive industries. The research findings show that: (1) Fostering new quality productivity effectively promotes the low-carbon transformation of carbon-intensive industries and plays a positive, empowering role. Industrial innovation, digital stimulation, technological innovation, and green empowerment all support the low-carbon transformation of carbon-intensive industries, with their respective impacts gradually decreasing in turn. (2) Mechanism analysis confirms a chain transmission mechanism of “new quality productivity—environmental protection investment—green innovation—the transformation of carbon-intensive industries” at the macro-provincial level. In micro-level carbon-intensive enterprises, a positive U-shaped relationship between new quality productivity and low-carbon transformation of carbon-intensive industries is evident, and the main pathways include increasing low-carbon, energy-saving investment and improving the ESG performance of high-carbon emission enterprises. (3) Advancing transformation is more pronounced in central and western areas, high-carbon areas, non-carbon trading pilot areas, and non-energy-rich ecologically fragile areas. The government and enterprises should take advantage of the development opportunities of new quality productivity and adopt low-carbon behaviors to promote transformational development.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3278new quality productivitylow-carbon transformationcarbon-intensive industrieslow-carbon behaviorgreen innovation |
| spellingShingle | Hui Wang Jie Zhou Kuiying Gu Feng Dong Can New Quality Productivity Drive the Low-Carbon Transformation of Carbon-Intensive Industries? Macro and Micro Evidence from China Energies new quality productivity low-carbon transformation carbon-intensive industries low-carbon behavior green innovation |
| title | Can New Quality Productivity Drive the Low-Carbon Transformation of Carbon-Intensive Industries? Macro and Micro Evidence from China |
| title_full | Can New Quality Productivity Drive the Low-Carbon Transformation of Carbon-Intensive Industries? Macro and Micro Evidence from China |
| title_fullStr | Can New Quality Productivity Drive the Low-Carbon Transformation of Carbon-Intensive Industries? Macro and Micro Evidence from China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can New Quality Productivity Drive the Low-Carbon Transformation of Carbon-Intensive Industries? Macro and Micro Evidence from China |
| title_short | Can New Quality Productivity Drive the Low-Carbon Transformation of Carbon-Intensive Industries? Macro and Micro Evidence from China |
| title_sort | can new quality productivity drive the low carbon transformation of carbon intensive industries macro and micro evidence from china |
| topic | new quality productivity low-carbon transformation carbon-intensive industries low-carbon behavior green innovation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/13/3278 |
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