The Impact of Industrial Robots on the ESG Rate of Downstream Enterprises in the Context of Supply Chain

As part of the sustainable growth of the world economy, Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) have come to be recognized as the three critical pillars of corporate sustainability. As a result, companies often balance their production and operational decisions to achieve sustainable environmental, social, and economic performance. This document explores the impact of using industrial robots by suppliers on the environmental, social and governance performance of downstream companies, offering valuable insights for how firms within the supply chain can leverage their partners’ use of industrial robots to enhance their own ESG outcomes. From the perspective of factor complementarity and collaboration between business upstream and downstream in the supply chain, this paper integrates the economic effects of using industrial robots by suppliers with companies’ ESG performance into a unified analytical framework. Secondly, in terms of enhancing ESG performance capabilities, this study considers the interdependent impacts of individual company behaviors, thereby expanding the research on factors affecting corporate ESG outcomes. Lastly, from the perspectives of financial and informational channels, the paper reveals the mechanisms by which using industrial robots by suppliers enhances downstream companies’ ESG performance. These insights provide significant practical guidance for fostering collaborative development among companies, enhancing the overall value of the supply chain, and strengthening competitiveness.