How can the application of industrial robots improve the carbon productivityof enterprises?——Evidence from Chinese manufacturing listed companies

工业机器人应用何以提升企业碳生产率? ———来自中国制造业上市企业的证据

Abstract

Industrial intelligence provides a feasible path for enterprises to develop new productive forces and achieve high-quality development. By incorporating carbon emissions as an input factor into the enterprise production function and using data from listed manufacturing companies, this study examines the impact of industrial robot applications on enterprise carbon productivity. The findings are: (1) Industrial robot applications significantly improve the carbon productivity of manufacturing enterprises, and this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests and endogeneity treatments. (2) The mechanism of action shows that industrial robot applications not only promote the improvement of enterprise carbon productivity through resource efficiency mechanisms that improve labor productivity, capital utilization efficiency, and energy utilization efficiency, but also improve enterprise carbon productivity by using knowledge densification and enhancing enterprise adaptability. (3) Industrial robots are more effective in promoting enterprise carbon productivity in larger enterprises with lower financing constraints, enterprises with high internal control and no green M&A behavior, and enterprises in industries with higher competition and lower monopoly power. Therefore, enterprises should be encouraged to focus on the research and development of advanced industrial robots; enterprises should be encouraged to transform into learning organizations and strengthen enterprise agility management; and the carbon market should be promoted to further expand its coverage and improve the trading system.