Synergistic modelling of green and digital local government on sustainable development performance: a case study of booming city

Purpose This study aims to explore the synergy between green and digital capabilities and local sustainable development goal (SDG) action plans in governments of rapidly growing cities. It analyses their impact on green and digital government practices, ultimately contributing to sustainable development performance and providing insights for effective urban policy implementation. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative survey approach to investigate green-digital capabilities and local SDG actions within the civil service of Surabaya, a booming city in Indonesia. The respondents are civil servants selected through purposive sampling, totalling 217 participants. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling to validate the proposed research model. Findings This study provides empirical evidence that green dynamic capability significantly enhances local green and digital government practices, facilitating the integration of environmental policies with digital technologies. However, digital dynamic capability does not considerably affect local green government, suggesting a lack of synergy between digital innovation and environmental policies. Conversely, it positively influences local digital government, confirming its role in improving public administration. The local SDGs action plan positively influences local green government but shows no significant effect on digital government, indicating a disconnect between sustainability and digital transformation agendas. In addition, local green and digital government practices positively impact sustainable development, emphasising the importance of environmental policies and digitalisation in achieving sustainability goals. Originality/value This study contributes original insights by empirically examining the interplay between green-digital dynamic capabilities and local SDG actions in the context of integrated green-digital government practices, specifically within the booming city. It highlights the significant impact of green dynamic capabilities on both local green and digital government while revealing the unexpected lack of influence of digital dynamic capabilities on local green government. This research uniquely addresses the existing gap in the literature regarding the integration of sustainability and digital transformation in local governance, emphasising the need for improved synergy between environmental policies and digital innovation.