Data element marketization and energy efficiency of heavy polluting enterprises: A technology innovation perspective

Abstract

The convergence of new round of technological revolution and green and low-carbon transformation, marketization of data elements is emerging as a key force in reshaping resource allocation mechanisms and driving green development. This study takes the establishment of a data trading platform as an exogenous shock, leveraging data from A-share listed companies in high-polluting industries between 2000 and 2023, and constructs a multi-period difference-in-differences model to examine the impact of data trading platforms on corporate energy efficiency. The findings show that the establishment of data trading platforms significantly improves the energy efficiency of heavily polluting enterprises. Mechanism tests further reveal that data trading platforms primarily improve energy efficiency by reducing innovation risk, stimulating innovation activity, and promoting breakthrough technological innovation. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that energy efficiency-enhancing effects of data trading platforms are more pronounced in scenarios where the city where the enterprise is located has launched a public data platform, is located in a non-resource-based city, or has been designated as an environmental protection priority city. This study not only enriches the theoretical understanding of the impact of data element marketization on corporate green transformation from an innovation perspective but also provides empirical evidence and policy references for improving green and low-carbon development strategies and enhancing energy efficiency in heavily polluting industries.