The impact of green human capital of entrepreneur on enterprise green innovation: A study based on the theory of pro-environmental behavior

•Expanding human capital theory in environmental protection.•Finding the impact of entrepreneur with green human capital in increasing green innovation.•Using PSM-DID method to explore impact of entrepreneur on green innovation for enterprise.•Finding a path for firm to gain win-win goal of economic benefits and environment. Enterprises are profit-seeking, but environmental issues arising from business operations also need to be considered. Based on pro-environmental behavior theory and using data from Chinese A-share listed firms and the China Intellectual Property Office, this paper explores the effective ways in which the green element of entrepreneurs can enhance Enterprises’ green innovation from the perspective of human capital. The study finds that reshaping entrepreneurs' behavior is conducive to resolving the incompatibility between profit-seeking and environmental goals of enterprises. The green human capital can motivate entrepreneurs to adopt more pro-environmental behaviors, enhance enterprises’ green innovation capabilities and promote their compliance with environmental policy requirements. The study bridges the insufficient between Upper Echelon Theory and Imprinting Theory, and extends the study of human capital.