Green Technology Transfer and Energy-Related Operational Port Carbon Emissions: Evidence from Listed Port Companies in China

Abstract

Against the background of resource constraints and the difficulty of independent green technology innovation, green technology transfer (GTT) provides an important pathway for listed port companies to reduce energy-related emissions from their operational activities and advance low-carbon transformation. Based on panel data from 19 listed Chinese port companies from 2011 to 2024, this paper examines the effect and mechanisms of GTT on energy-related operational port carbon emissions (EOPCE) from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. The results show that (1) GTT significantly reduces EOPCE, and this finding remains robust after a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. (2) Mediation analysis indicates that GTT reduces EOPCE by promoting a cleaner energy consumption structure and technological progress. (3) Moderation analysis shows that environmental regulation, regional innovation support, and port financial health significantly strengthen the negative effect of GTT on EOPCE, while no statistically significant moderating effect of port technology absorptive capacity is identified under the current sample and proxy measure. (4) Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the effect of GTT on EOPCE varies across port regions and digitalization levels.