Firms’ performance in sustainable development has caused increasing concerns. A key issue is that the environmental characteristics of business managers may be an important driver to promote the sustainable practice of enterprises. This study explores the relationship between ascribed responsibility of managers and green sustainable practice of enterprises by introducing the waste management as mediation variable and green self-efficacy as a moderating variable. A survey was conducted in manufacturing enterprises from the Yangtze River Delta in China in 2019, where 149 valid questionnaires were collected out of 200 surveyed enterprises. Subsequently, the data were analyzed through an analytic hierarchy process. The results show that: (1) ascribed responsibility of managers has a positive impact on green sustainable practices (β = 0.428, p < 0.001), and waste management plays a full mediating role during this process (β = 0.428, p < 0.001); (2) managers' green self-efficacy strengthens the positive impact of waste management on sustainable practices (β = 0.284, p < 0.05); (3) green self-efficacy has positively moderated the indirect effect of managers' ascribed responsibility for sustainable practice through waste management. The research enriches the theories on sustainable practice of enterprises from the perspective of managers’ environmental characteristics and provides insights for enterprises to promote sustainable development practice.

Energy efficiency and emissions reductions are effective initiatives to address climate change and energy security. China has increased government subsidies and intellectual property protection (IPP) intensity to promote technological innovation in the renewable energy sector. This paper selects samples of geothermal, wind, and solar energy companies and examines whether the two initiatives mentioned above can improve company innovation, and assesses their action pathways. The results reveal that: (i) government subsidies can directly facilitate renewable energy enterprises’ innovative performance, and research and development (R&D) input served as a medium; and (ii) the intensity of IPP moderation needed for geothermal and solar enterprises to utilize the government subsidy to enhance innovation. The government should consider the differences of different sub-sectors of renewable energy when increasing subsidies. Better laws and policies are needed to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights and stimulate innovation in renewable energy enterprises.