Table 3. Thematic analysis based on keywords

Cluster Keywords Discussion theme Theoretical expectations from literature
Red Environmental management, firm size, governance, governance approach, green economy, green governance, green growths, green transformation, strategic approach, sustainability, sustainability development Self-reported indicators often inflate green governance outcomes, masking systemic greenwashing and symbolic compliance compared to independent evaluations. Literature shows self-reported metrics overestimate performance, indicating widespread greenwashing and the need for independent verification to ensure accountability.
Green Conservation of natural, economic development, economic growth, environmental policy, environmental pollution, environmental protection, government, heterogeneity, local government, pollution control Weak enforcement and regulatory capacity lead to selective implementation, undermining the balance between economic growth and environmental protection in green governance policies. Studies highlight enforcement capacity as key; weak oversight results in selective implementation and reduced effectiveness of environmental protection policies.
Blue Carbon, carbon emission, climate change, emission control, energy conservation, green development Without strong carbon pricing or enforcement, green governance fails to reduce emissions effectively, allowing persistent environmental externalities and short-term policy impacts. Research indicates absence of strict pricing mechanisms sustains externalities and limits long-term emission reduction outcomes.
Yellow Customer social responsibility, environmental economic, green innovation, industrial enterprise, performance assessment Customer-driven green innovation relying on self-reported metrics often creates gaps between ESG disclosures and actual environmental performance without independent monitoring. Theoretical insights suggest ESG disclosures lack reliability without oversight, leading to discrepancies between reported and actual environmental performance.
Purple Corporates, economic, investment Green finance effectiveness depends on institutional quality; below critical thresholds, it fails to drive sustainable investment or address core environmental externalities. Literature emphasizes institutional quality as prerequisite; weak systems limit green finance impact and fail to stimulate sustainable corporate investment.
ESG, environment·social·governance.
Data retrieved from Scopus (Elsevier) and processed by the authors.