This study integrates the attention-based view and organisational legitimacy theory to construct a research framework of ‘environmental attention – firm environmental responsibility assumption (FER) – green innovation (GI)’, systematically investigating the differential impact mechanisms of FER on the GI of new energy firms under the condition of regional government environmental attention (GEA). Using a sample of listed new energy firms in China between 2015 and 2021, our empirical analysis results are as follows. FER promotes both green technological innovation (GTI) and green management innovation (GMI) in new energy firms. Further research indicates that GEA significantly and positively moderates the relationship between FER and GTI, although its moderating effect on GMI is not significant. Environmental subsidies (ES) and research and development (R however, R&D serve as partial mediators in the process through which FER influences GMI. The above findings suggest that while FER can drive GI by increasing R&D, the mediating role of ES and the moderating role of GEA are primarily evident in the GTI domain. This reveals the differential formation mechanisms of GI under the ‘policy-firm’ interaction. This study recommends that firms integrate FER into their strategies to achieve policy synergy. Policymakers should implement differentiated incentives―supporting GTI while strengthening institutional guidance for GMI―to systematically promote the sustainable development of the new energy industry.
Xu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.