What Role Do Social Organizations Play in Stimulating Green and Low‐Carbon Consumption in China?

ABSTRACT A critical factor in the advancement of ecological civilization and the attainment of sustainable economic and social development is green and low‐carbon consumption (GLC). Social organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in the advancement of GLC by creating a connection between the government, market and public through practices such as policy advocacy and supervision. But current research has not given this topic enough attention. In order to conduct a comprehensive examination of the influence of social organization development (SOD) on GLC and its mechanisms of action, this paper compiles data from 30 provinces in China between 2012 and 2021 and constructs a two‐way fixed effects model. Following are the findings of the investigation: (1) SOD has the potential to directly and effectively improve the regional GLC level, a conclusion that has remained consistent over a variety of endogeneity and robustness tests. (2) SOD can indirectly influence GLC by promoting improvements in regional green technology innovation. (3) Government intervention somewhat diminishes the positive impact of SOD on GLC, while environmental concerns are exacerbated. (4) The promotional effect of SOD on GLC is regionally variable, with more pronounced effects observed in the eastern and western regions. Contributing to the extant literature on NGOs and GLC, the findings of this paper provide valuable empirical insights into the promotion of GLC.