The Effect of Market-Based Environmental Regulations on Green Technology Innovation—The Regulatory Effect Based on Corporate Social Responsibility
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsComments to the Authors:
Dear authors, first I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to review your article. After a thorough analysis of the manuscript, I would like to provide some constructive suggestions to enhance the clarity and impact of your work:
1. Introduction
Reviewer: The introduction primarily focuses on the Chinese situation, failing to completely contextualize the importance of technological innovation and green and sustainable development. On the other hand, the text makes several assertions about the role of technological innovation and green development in the Chinese economy but lacks detailed evidence or specific references to support these claims. Additionally, the authors should highlight the importance of studying this topic and identify the literature gaps that justify conducting this study. Although the authors detail their objectives, it would be important for the introduction to more clearly indicate the scarcity of studies that lead to the establishment of these objectives. To justify their research, the authors should reference recent studies suggesting the need for new research. For example, the study by Bernardo et al., 2023 (https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.29.2.10) suggests the need for more research on technological innovation in companies, challenging the emergence of new investigations. While the authors make efforts to contextualize their study, it is important to include a brief reflection on recent studies that have highlighted or suggested the implementation of technological innovations in companies to encourage the modernization of strategies and sustainability, such as the study by Sousa et al., 2023 - (https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118725). This additional exercise will allow the reader to have a clear view of what innovative developments have been taking place in various sectors of activity.
2. Literature Review and Research Hypotheses
2.1. Market-based Environmental Regulation and Green Technological Innovation
“Early environmental regulatory instruments, such as environmental legislation and penalties for environmental violations, have predominantly relied on command-and-control approaches.”
“Command-and-control regulations have limited incentivizing effects on green in- novation activities and, to some extent, even generate a "crowding out effect" on the enterprise's green technological innovation. With the advancement of regulatory processes, China has gradually implemented market-oriented and informal environmental regulations (also known as public participation environmental regulations). At present, market-based environmental regulations in China include sewage charges, environmental taxes, and carbon emissions trading mechanisms.”
“In the current macro context of economic development entering a new normal, in order to achieve the goal of green and sustainable development, the government should fully respect market rules, stimulate the vitality of market entities, and use market mechanisms to motivate enterprises to better enhance their green innovation capabilities in the face of environmental regulations.”
Reviewer: Authors should review statements such as those highlighted here throughout the manuscript. All statements should be confirmed with scientific literature or data from official reports, to guarantee the credibility of the information presente, especially in this section, which gives rise to the formation of research hypotheses.
3. Methodology
3.1. Sample selection and data sources
Reviewer: The authors should be clearer and provide more information on the methodological process adopted in this study. Here it should be made clear how many companies and what primary data were considered. The authors only mention that they analyzed data on market-based environmental regulation, corporate green technological innovation, corporate social responsibility, and the economic characteristics of companies. The data or items obtained from each database should be listed and presented with their respective sources, so that it is clear what was analyzed in this study.
“Following established academic practices, the samples were treated based on the following criteria”
Reviewer: Which established academic practices? Authors need to present studies that support their methodological approach, justifying the method of treatment and analysis adopted.
5. Conclusions and Implications
Reviewer: In this section the authors should put more emphasis on the importance and contribution of their study. Since the authors do not present a real discussion of their results, they should reinforce the implications of the study by considering some of the results obtained in previous studies. It is also suggested that the theoretical implications be detailed, so that it is clear what contributions have been generated in this study. On the other hand, it would be important for the authors to add some important information to the conclusions. The authors should mention which of the gaps in the literature were answered in this study and which of the proposed objectives were achieved.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageEnglish language just needs a minor revision.
Author Response
Thank you for reviewing this article, and you can refer to this document below for responses related to your suggestions. Thank you again.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for Authors
It is a very interesting article that addresses a highly relevant topic currently. The Introduction is well-structured and correctly presents all the basic elements of the research. The theoretical framework presents hypotheses that guided the research and were verified through qualitative analyses. The methodology also outlines all the steps taken to arrive at the results. In the analysis of the results, the authors only present tables with data and statistical tests. Presenting the results solely in statistical terms will likely not be understood by managers unfamiliar with statistics. The suggestion is to present a final framework showing which variables directly influence company outcomes. You can consult the following article: [link]. In this article, the authors analyze CSR reports and, after statistical analyses, establish a ranking of priority variables. This ranking is easily visualized and understood by any reader.
Author Response
感谢您阅读本文，您可以参考下面的文档，了解与您的建议相关的回复。再次感谢你。
Thank you for reviewing this article, and you can refer to this document below for responses related to your suggestions. Thank you again.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsYour paper provides valuable insights into the mechanisms through which market-based environmental regulations influence green technology innovation in Chinese enterprises.
However, I have identified several areas for improvement that could enhance the rigor and overall impact of your study. Please consider the following suggestions:
1. Clarify the Mediation Analysis Approach: While your paper discusses the use of the SA index and the regression models, a clearer explanation of the mediation analysis approach would be beneficial. Please provide a more detailed explanation of how the mediation effect was tested, including any statistical tests used to confirm mediation (e.g., Sobel test, bootstrapping methods).
2. Inclusion of Additional Market-Based Environmental Regulation Measures: Market-based environmental regulations encompass a wide range of policies. Including additional measures will make the analysis more comprehensive and the results more generalizable across different regulatory contexts. Currently, your study primarily uses sewage charges and environmental taxes as proxies. Consider including other relevant measures, if available, such as carbon trading schemes or renewable energy incentives, to provide a more comprehensive assessment.
3. Enhanced Discussion on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): A deeper exploration of CSR will provide more insights into how different aspects of CSR influence green technology innovation, enriching the discussion and implications of your findings. Your paper touches on CSR as a moderating factor but could further explore the nuanced roles of different dimensions of CSR (e.g., environmental, social, and governance aspects). Additionally, analyzing the differential impacts of substantive vs. symbolic CSR actions on green technology innovation would be beneficial.
We look forward to your revised manuscript.
Best regards,
Comments on the Quality of English Language
no major issues about the quality of english language
Author Response
Thank you for reviewing this article, and you can refer to this document below for responses related to your suggestions. Thank you again.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis article seems to be a very good piece of work. Here are some comments:
The abstract section should briefly introduce the scale of the data and the research methods used.
The introduction section should clearly articulate specific research questions. Additionally, please include a paragraph at the end outlining the arrangement of the remaining sections.
The paper lacks discussion for the research findings. The authors should compare and analyze the research findings with existing studies, discussing in depth the similarities and differences that may arise. Furthermore, while the introduction section briefly describes the research contributions, a more detailed analysis should be provided in the discussion section, particularly emphasizing engagement with existing research.
The references appear to be somewhat outdated. There seems to be a lack of research references in the sections on Methodology, and Policy Recommendations and Management Insights. Good luck.
Author Response
Thank you for reviewing this article, and you can refer to this document below for responses related to your suggestions. Thank you again.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe authors have significantly strengthened the scientific contribution of the study, I just suggest a brief revision of the English language.
Good luck.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageEnglish language just needs a minor revision.
Author Response
Dear reviewers, Thank you very much for your suggestions and acknowledgements, we have edited and revised the language in the latest edition as well. In order to differentiate it from the previous revision, this language revision is marked in blue colour (the previous revision was in red). Thank you again.
