The Role of Robots in Green Production

The question of whether robots, as a driving force of the new technological revolution, can facilitate green production has attracted much attention. This study developed a heterogeneous firm model including robots, energy, and pollution to investigate the impact of robots on firms' green production. The results indicate that: (i) robots reduced firms' energy and pollution intensity and promoted green production; (ii) financial frictions reduced the positive effects of robots on green production; (iii) the impact was facilitated by scale, technological, and structural effects; (iv) robots had a more significant positive impact on green production in state-owned and labor-intensive firms, and in regions with stronger green technological advantages and stricter environmental regulations; and (v) superstar firms amplified this positive effect – a marginal effect due to the heightened attention they received from investors, the media, and government.