Technological innovation represents the core driving force behind the green development of resource-based enterprises whereas environmental leaders are widely recognized as key factors influencing technological innovation in these enterprises. From the perspective of leadership theory and technical innovation theory, this study explores the impact of environmental leadership, which focuses on environmental protection and sustainable development, on technological innovation. Additionally, the mediating role of green investment and the moderating role of government subsidies are analyzed in this study. Using Stata 18 software, this study analyzes 170 resource-based enterprises listed on the Shenzhen and Shanghai A-share stock markets, for the time periods spanning from 2013 to 2022. The results indicate a positive impact of environmental leadership on technological innovation, with green investment mediating the relationship between environmental leadership and technological innovation. However, the moderating effect of government subsidies between environmental leadership and green investment is not significant. Our findings offer a better understanding of technological innovation in resource-based enterprises by considering the influence factors from both internal and external perspective, especially the critical role of leader. Therefore, this study contributes to the literature on leadership theory and technological innovation theory.

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