Mechanisms of the Impact of Digital Transformation on Corporate Sustainability Performance

Under the "dual-carbon" strategic framework, corporate digitalization emerges as a pivotal driver for advancing sustainable development and facilitating high-quality economic and social development. This investigation employs a dataset of Chinese A-share listed companies (2014-2023) to systematically examine the mechanism through which digital transformation enhances sustainability. The empirical analysis found that digital transition elevates sustainable development outcomes through dual mediation pathways: green technological innovation and greening transformation. Specifically, digital transformation fosters the development and adoption of green technologies and promotes organizational and operational changes, which in turn enhance sustainability performance. Heterogeneity analysis reveals significant differential impacts that digital transformation exerts a greater dominant effect on the sustainability performance of state-owned firms, heavily polluting industry firms, and those in the central and western regions. These findings provide empirical evidence for optimizing digital transformation pathways, theoretical references for the implementation of sustainable development strategies, and actionable insights for enterprises to achieve carbon neutrality through technological innovation and green transformation.