Sustainability of Innovative Digital Green Technology in Chinese Manufacturing

Intensive environmental pressures and the global pursuit of carbon neutrality have made digitalization and green technology key drivers of sustainable development at the enterprise level, particularly in the manufacturing industry. This research examines how innovative digital green technologies influence the sustainable development of Chinese-listed manufacturing companies using the POLC+T framework (Planning, Organizing, Leading, Controlling, and Complementary Technology). It utilizes time series data from 400 Chinese A-share manufacturing companies over the period 2014–2024. The research employs the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis and instrumental variable techniques to ensure reliability and address potential intra-relationship issues. The findings show that innovative digital organizing, green technological leading, and innovative digitalization controlling have significant positive impacts on firms’ sustainable development, as measured by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sustainability scores. Complementary technology such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and blockchain show a significant mediating role, strengthening the sustainable development impacts of key digital and green innovation activities. The research suggests that sustainability outcomes are not only the result of green technology adoption but also of integrated management processes that link digital transformation with strategic environmental leadership. This research contributes to the literature by conceptualizing and empirically validating innovative digital green technology as a multidimensional framework based on management theory. In practice, the findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and managers seeking to accelerate the transformation towards sustainability in the manufacturing sector through coordinated digital and green innovation strategies. Therefore, this research enhances our understanding of how technology-driven management approaches can link economic efficiency and long-term environmental sustainability in emerging economies.