The Influence of Corporate Investment in Environmental Protection on Low-carbon Technology Innovation: An Analysis of the Mediating Role of Environmental Benefits and the Moderating Role of Market Share

With the promotion of green economies, green and low-carbon development has become a key issue for business growth. This paper conducts a literature review and empirical analysis to examine the impact of environmental protection investments by enterprises on low-carbon technology innovation. It focuses on the mediating role of environmental benefits and the moderating role of market share, as well as their interrelationships and mechanisms of effect. The results indicate that investments in environmental protection significantly promote innovation in low-carbon technologies. Additionally, environmental benefits partially mediate this relationship. In other words, environmental protection investments enhance low-carbon technology innovation by improving environmental benefits. Furthermore, this study introduces an interaction model to assess the moderating effect of market share, revealing that market share significantly influences the impact of environmental protection investments on low-carbon technology innovation. Lastly, the paper analyzes the differences in the performance of environmental protection investments based on ownership type.