Public procurement, corporate social responsibility and green innovation: evidence from china

Abstract

Improving corporate green innovation is the key support for achieving sustainable economic development under the concept of green development. However, existing research lacks a theoretical framework and empirical evidence on how public procurement affects corporate green innovation. Drawing on institutional and stakeholder theory, this study examines whether and how public procurement affects corporate green innovation. Using a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2020, we find a positive correlation between public procurement and firm's green innovation. Further analysis reveals that corporate social responsibility (CSR) acts as a mediator between public procurement and business green innovation. Additionally, we argue that CEO green experience and environmental regulation strengthen the positive relationship between public procurement and green innovation. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of how public procurement influences corporate green innovation and offers valuable insights for public procurement agencies and enterprises in practice.