How forestry companies' ecological and environmental responsibilities affect operating performance: green innovation as a mediator

Forestry enterprises operate with forest resources as their business object, their environmental responsibilities are inherently distinctive. This paper defines such unique responsibilities as “corporate ecological and environmental responsibilities (CEER)”, a specificity that limits the direct applicability of existing research conclusions of ordinary enterprises to forestry contexts. To address this issue, this study explores the relationships among forestry enterprises' CEER, green innovation (GI), and operating performance. The findings reveal three key insights: First, CEER in forestry enterprises exerts a positive impact on operating performance, with significant positive effects explicitly observed in the dimensions of pollution prevention responsibility and green product responsibility, whereas forest sustainability responsibility shows no significant impact. Second, CEER can influence operating performance through green innovation, and this mediating effect is primarily driven by pollution prevention responsibility. Third, the mediating role of green innovation exhibits ownership heterogeneity: private forestry enterprises can enhance their operating performance via green innovation, while state-owned forestry enterprises do not demonstrate this effect. Overall, this research offers empirical implications for promoting the coordinated development of corporate environmental responsibility (CER) and operating performance.