Green Innovation Effects and Driving Factors of Urban Environmental Information Disclosure: Based on fsQCA and Complex Mediation Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Government environmental information disclosure (Pollution Information Transparency Index, PITI) is a critical step in the environmental management system. To investigate the key elements driving government environmental information disclosure in a complex environment, this study uses sample data from 120 prefecture-level cities in China and employs the Pollution Source Regulatory Information Transparency Index to measure this disclosure. Based on the push–pull–mooring model, it utilizes fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and a mixed mediating effect model to analyze the configurational pathways influenced by factors such as public environmental demands, regional environmental problems, fiscal pressure, government–enterprise relationships, the rule of law environment, and governmental environmental attentiveness that facilitate high levels of government environmental information disclosure (PITI). Furthermore, it examines the direct and indirect effects of these configurations on regional green innovation. The findings reveal that six push–pull–mooring factors yield four conditional configurations for government environmental information disclosure. Overall, high public environmental demands and low fiscal pressure are universal conditions that drive government environmental information disclosure. Additionally, the complex mediating effect analysis shows that all four configurations can directly promote regional green innovation and also indirectly enhance it by fostering PITI. This paper thoroughly explores the underlying mechanisms by which different configurational pathways influence regional green innovation and systematically analyzes the interactions among various factors, providing new insights for advancing governmental transparency and offering theoretical guidance and practical recommendations for promoting regional green development.