Abstract: In the context of sustainable development becoming a global consensus, exploring how public environmental concerns affect corporate ESG performance through green technology innovation is of great significance for promoting corporate green transformation and achieving coordinated economic and environmental development. Using the ESG rating data of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2011 to 2021 and the environmental keyword Baidu index data of various provinces, this paper examines the role of public environmental concern on enterprise ESG performance and its impact mechanism from the the perspective of green technology innovation. The findings show: Firstly, public environmental attention can significantly promote corporate ESG performance, green technology innovation plays a mediating role between the two, and government intervention plays a positive moderating role between the two. Secondly, public environmental attention has spillover effects, and public environmental attention in other provinces can also significantly improve the ESG performance of local enterprises. Thirdly, such enterprises as that with lower ESG performance, the state-owned enterprises, the non heavy polluting industry enterprises, the high-tech enterprises, and the enterprises that located in areas with low proportion of the secondary industry, low market competition, and good business environment, have a stronger effect of public environmental attention on improving their ESG performance. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen policy guidance on public environmental concerns, promote green technology innovation, optimize government intervention, and enhance regional collaborative governance, so as to further improve corporate ESG performance.

Key words: public environmental concerns, ESG performance, green technology innovation, government intervention