Can green finance reform and innovation policies promote corporate carbon performance?

Green finance can provide financial support for green and low-carbon development. Based on data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2020, this study conducts empirical analyses using the difference-in-differences method. The results demonstrate that China's green financial reform and innovation policies can significantly improve corporate carbon performance. And green financial reform and innovation policies have the most significant effect on enterprises' carbon performance in the eastern region, followed by the central region, and have little effect on enterprises in the western region. This study provides lessons for low-carbon governance by governments and low-carbon development by enterprises.