How Regional High-Quality Co-Ordinated Development Influences Green Technology Choices: Evidence from 284 Cities in China

Abstract

High-quality development (HQD) is a fundamental requirement for current and future macroeconomic regulation in China. This study measured the high-quality co-ordinated development (HQCD) index of 284 cities in China from 2010 to 2019 using the entropy weighted TOPSIS method and coupled co-ordination model, and examined the impact of regional HQCD on enterprises’ green technology choices by combining data from Chinese listed companies. The results show the following: (1) Regional HQCD significantly promotes enterprises’ green technology choices, but does not substantially change the direction of their green technology progress. Specifically, co-ordinated regional economic–ecological system development promotes the enterprises’ technological progress toward green practices. Moreover, co-ordinated urban development has a self-reinforcing effect on the preference for green technology choices. (2) Regional HQCD enhances the screening effect of enterprises on green technology by alleviating financial constraints and increasing the awareness of social responsibility. (3) Regional HQCD has a more pronounced promotional effect on green technologies in the categories of transportation; energy conservation; and administration, regulation, or design. Private enterprises and cities with a high-administrative rank responded to the green technology selection effect of regional HQCD. This study enriches the theory and literature on the influence of government policies on firm behavior, and also provides a reference for the international community.