The Drivers of Environmental Performance: Mandatory Environmental Regulations, Strategic Green Marketing Orientation, and Green Innovation in China’s Energy-Intensive Enterprises

This research investigates the impact of mandatory environmental regulations (MER) and strategic green marketing orientation (SGMO) on green innovation (GI) and environmental performance (EP) in China’s energy-intensive enterprises (EIEs). Based on Institutional Theory and Porter’s Hypothesis, we propose a moderated mediation model in which GI mediates the relationships between MER and EP, as well as between SGMO and EP, while green knowledge acquisition (GKA) strengthens the effects of MER and SGMO on GI. Using survey data from 463 respondents in 128 EIEs, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) results show that both MER and SGMO significantly promote GI, which in turn enhances EP. Notably, GI partially mediates the SGMO–EP link and the MER–EP relationship. GKA positively moderates the MER–GI and SGMO–GI paths. These findings offer theoretical and practical insights for promoting sustainable transformation in high-pollution industries.