The mechanism of how corporate environmental responsibility influences sustainability
Abstract
Current scientific literature lacks a comprehensive theoretical explanation of how corporate environmental responsibility (CER) translates into sustainability in the context of digital business transformation (DBT). The aim of this study is to develop and substantiate a conceptual model of this mechanism. The methodological framework includes a systemic and comparative analysis, a synthesis of stakeholder theories, the resource-based view, signaling theory, and Porter’s hypothesis, as well as an analysis of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE) ESG index data for 2014–2023. The proposed model identifies four interconnected channels for transforming environmental practices into sustainability: financial and investment, operational efficiency, reputational and market, and innovation and strategic. It is substantiated that DBT acts not as an external factor, but as an integrating environment that enhances synergy between channels and makes the mechanism self-sustaining. Four management principles are formulated and a threelevel system of methodological recommendations (process, factor, and dynamic levels) is developed, enabling companies to systematically improve the return on environmental investments. The model’s applicability to Russian practice is demonstrated: leading companies in the RUIE ESG indices implement precisely the combination of channels defined in the model. The key conclusion of the article is that CER does not translate into sustainability in isolation, but through channel synergy, catalyzed by DBT, which requires companies to reconsider their planning horizons and management tools.