The Impact of Digital Transformation on ESG Performance: The Role of Supply Chain Resilience

Abstract

With the development of digital technologies, the impact of digital transformation on corporate performance in environmental, social responsibility, and governance areas warrants further research. This study aims to delve into how digital transformation may impact a company’s ESG performance from the perspective of supply chain resilience. We collect non-financial listed companies in China’s A-shares from 2009 to 2022 as research samples. The results show that digital transformation can significantly improve the ESG performance. Digital transformation can enhance supply chain resilience, namely by reducing supplier and customer concentration to improve a company’s ESG performance. We also reveal that non-heavy polluting companies, high-tech companies, and companies in the eastern regions are more sensitive to digital transformation in terms of ESG performance. This paper contributes to examining the relationship between digital transformation and corporate ESG performance, providing both a theoretical foundation and practical recommendations for guiding companies in achieving digital transformation and improving their ESG performance.