Resumen de Public data opening and corporate ESG performance: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China

Yuan Feng, Jiani Zhuo, Changfei Nie

• Purpose – This study examines how public data opening (PDO) affects corporate ESG performance.

  Theoretical framework – The study combines the slack resources theory, corporate governance theory, and other economic theories to highlight the mechanisms through which PDO may affect corporate ESG performance.

  Design/methodology/approach – Considering the launch of Chinese provincial PDO platforms as a quasi-natural experiment, this study uses a difference-indifferences (DID) model with panel data from Chinese A-share corporations from 2012 to 2022 to analyze the potential effects of PDO on corporate ESG performance.

  Findings – The results show that PDO effectively improves corporate ESG performance, particularly in regions with low informatization and marketization levels, as well as among corporations with a strong perception of uncertainty and state-owned enterprises. Mechanism analyses reveal that PDO may improve corporate ESG performance by reducing corporate information asymmetry, promoting digital transformation, and enhancing green innovation.

  Practical and social implications of the research – The findings provide fresh insights for policymakers to promote the marketization of data elements and enhance corporate ESG performance, while also offering a reference for future research.

  Originality/value – The study constructs a theoretical framework for how PDO affects corporate ESG performance, which extends and enriches the literature on the impacts of PDO and the factors influencing corporate ESG performance