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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
How Does Green Technology Innovation
Affect the Carbon Emissions of
Construction Companies in China?
1
Planning and Finance Department, China Academy of Art, Zhejiang, China
2
School of Economics and Management, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Zhejiang, China
3
Silk and Fashion Culture Research Center of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Zhejiang, China
4
Green and low-carbon technology and industrialization of modern logistics, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center,
Wenzhou,325100, China
Submission date: 2024-08-07
Final revision date: 2024-11-07
Acceptance date: 2024-12-29
Online publication date: 2025-02-27
Publication date: 2026-01-30
Corresponding author
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(1):1179-1193
KEYWORDS
green technology innovationcarbon emissionsconstruction companiesgovernment environmental attentions
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The resource and environmental problems are compelling the building sector to transition
towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach. Energy conservation and emission reduction
are facilitated by green technology innovation, which is a critical approach to achieving low-carbon
transformation. This study uses a two-way fixed effects model to explore the relationship between
green technology innovation and carbon emissions. We employ data from listed companies in China's
construction sector from 2003 to 2021. Additionally, this paper examines the impact of the government's
environmental attention mechanism by employing the moderating effects model. The research findings
suggest that there is a negative correlation between carbon emission intensity and the innovation of
green technologies. This result remains valid after rigorous testing, considering endogeneity and
robustness. The influence of green technology innovation on carbon emissions is enhanced by
government environmental concerns. Examining heterogeneity reveals that only firms located in the
eastern area exhibit substantial carbon reduction benefits. Furthermore, it is seen that the magnitude
of the enterprise's size and the level of marketization positively correlate with the carbon reduction
effect of green technology innovation. Ultimately, specific suggestions are provided for the government,
industry, and heterogeneity, respectively.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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