Green Digital Transformation Enhances Environmental Social and Governance Performance in the Energy Sector

Green Digital Transformation Enhances Environmental Social and Governance Performance in the Energy Sector | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Green Digital Transformation Enhances Environmental Social and Governance Performance in the Energy Sector Saad Darwish, Hussain K. Hussain Alagele This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9316131/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The strategic implementation of digital technologies is a crucial factor for lowering costs and enhancing operational efficiency in organizations, optimizing production processes and promoting sustainable development. In this context, comprehending the precise influence of digital transformation on firms' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes is crucial for advancing sustainable development in China's economy and society. This research examined energy firms in four nations (Iraq, Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia) and specifically investigated how digital transformation influences ESG performance enhancement. The findings indicated that digital transformation greatly enhances ESG performance, especially in non-state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in contrast to SOEs. In particular, digital transformation efforts enhance ESG performance by boosting the number of highly skilled employees and enhancing the skills of the current workforce. Additionally, environmental regulations diminish the beneficial effects of digital transformation on both the number and proficiency of a company's workforce, subsequently influencing their ESG performance at the organizational level. A questionnaire was designed for data collection based on previous studies. A random sample of employees in energy companies in four countries (Iraq, UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia) was selected. The questionnaire was distributed using Google Forms, and the sample size was )774( valid questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Amos software. The results showed a strong relationship between green digital transformation and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 04 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 03 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 16 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 13 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 10 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 10 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 10 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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