Green growth depends on market-based technological innovations to enhance the efficiency of production, thus distinguishing the environmental effects and natural resource-based consumption from unlimited development (UNEP, 2011). Green environmental technologies are effective in boosting green growth (Sohag et al., 2019), and cleaner technological innovations result in significantly reducing CO2 emissions (Ullah et al., 2021). One strand of literature validates that for an effective and consistent reduction in carbon emissions, improvements in the efficiency of environmental technology are compulsory (Kwon et al., 2017; Du et al., 2017; Chen and Lei, 2018; Mensah et al., 2018). Other strands of the literature reveal that the simultaneous role of environmental-related technologies and renewable energy technologies is required for a sustainable reduction in carbon emissions and renewable energy technologies are vital for producing clean energy (Sarkodie and Adom, 2018; Gu et al., 2019). Thus, environmental technological innovation is an imperative determinant that increases energy efficiency and diminishes energy consumption (Sohag et al., 2015). In the meanwhile, worldwide economic development has raised environmental issues and resource scarcity and distracted the emphasis of the economies from outdated economic development towards sustainable growth.
In this regard, opposing outdated growth theories, the new economic development literature focused on the adoption of technological innovations to attain a green revolution (Acemoglu et al., 2016). Aghion et al. (2020) explored the query that whether technological change combats environmental change or not. The study highlights the significance of patents and environmental stringency policies to direct environmental-related technological changes to increase renewable energy consumption and to reduce non-renewable energy usage for mitigation of carbon emissions. Similarly, the increasing awareness of green growth has stimulated many economies to inaugurate the green economic growth infrastructure for environmental and resources protection especially for the transformation of energy (Herman & Xiang 2019 and Song et al., 2019). Consequently, renewable energy usage, non-renewable energy usage, and green technological innovations, environmental stringency policies contribute significantly in explaining the green growth path.
Zhu et al. (2014) reported that modern environmental theories highlighted that climatic issues can be solved by environmentally-related technological innovations and environment-related regulations/stringency policies. It has become imperative to investigate how to endorse environmental management practices like green growth management to combat environmental issues (Lorek and Spangenberg, 2019). A vast literature supports the argument that the green growth approach has become effective for attaining sustainable development (Grover, 2013; Ploeg and Withagen, 2013). Ploeg and Withagen (2013) examine the association between green growth practices and environmental stringency policy. The findings of the study suggest that carbon tax and research and development subsidies are effective tools to attain green growth. It is well-known fact that the capital development approach is useful for the attainment of sustainable development. The findings of Nielen et al. (2014) study reveal that incentive-based environmental stringency policies contribute to achieving green growth. Environmental technological innovation is a key determinant of green growth (Grover, 2013).
Based on the above discussion it is concluded that the main determinants of green growth include technological innovations, environmental policy stringency, and so on. However, the existing literature takes into consideration the association between one specific determinant and green growth. Although, few studies investigated the integration among technological innovation, environmental policy stringency, and green growth (Zhao and Sun, 2016). Chan et al. (2015) study demonstrated that environmental dynamics have a comparatively strong impact on the association between green technological innovations and cost-effectiveness, and a slightly moderate association between green technological innovations and profitability of firms. Zhao et al. (2020) explore the impact of environmental policy stringency on corporation competitiveness and innovation.
Bel & Joseph (2018) study identified environmental stringency policy as an important determinant to enhance green growth in EU economies. It is argued that the increasing pressure of environmental regulations and environmental stringency policy directly influences green growth. For China, Zhao et al.'s (2015) study examine the influence of three measures of environmental regulations (i.e., market-based regulations, command and control regulations, and government subsidies) on carbon emissions reduction and efficiency improvement of power plants. The findings reveal that government subsidies and market-based regulations positively improve the efficiency of power plants and reduce carbon emissions, but command and control regulations exert no significant contribution. Porter and van der Linde (1995) report that environmental stringency policy can stimulate firm innovation, hence enhancing its effectiveness on green growth. Some researchers explored the association between environmental stringency policy and technological innovations (Lanoie et al. 2011 and Zhao et al., 2020). Castellacci and Lie (2017) examine different types of environmental innovations and reported that environmental stringency policies are more significant drivers of technological innovations and reduction in pollution emissions of firms. Furthermore, Tellis (2008) claimed that technological innovations play a significant role in viable green development in contemporary economies.
Based on the above discussion, understanding the influence of environmental-related technologies and environmental stringency policies on green growth is crucial for decision-making. Previous studies have mostly focused on the influence of technological innovations and environmental stringency policies on CO2 emissions. However, the present study moves in a new direction and delivers a unique investigation on the simultaneous effect of environmental-related technologies and environmental stringency policies on green growth in the case of China. This study contributes to the existing literature in the following ways. Firstly, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first one that investigates the simultaneous impact of environmental-related technologies and environmental stringency policy on green growth in China. The study will deliver imperative policy directions that help in stimulating green growth and reducing carbon emissions in China.