Does creation-oriented culture promote ESG activities? Evidence from the Chinese market

•Explored link between creation-oriented corporate culture and ESG activities.•Analyzed textual data data from Chinese listed firms from 2008 to 2022.•Creation-oriented culture significantly and positively related to ESG activities.•The findings offer insights into how to shape corporate culture to improve ESG.•Corporate green innovation and CEO career horizon are the two potential channels. This study investigates the relationship between a creation-oriented culture and environmental, social, and governance activities in Chinese listed companies between 2008 and 2022. We conduct a textual analysis of firms’ annual reports to quantify the creation-oriented culture and environmental, social, and governance levels. The results reveal that a creation-oriented culture positively affects environmental, social, and governance activities. The findings also show that creation-oriented culture can positively affect environmental, social, and governance activities through the channels of corporate green innovation and chief executive officers’ career horizons. The findings of this study have implications for stakeholders and policymakers aiming to enhance environmental, social, and governance activities at the corporate level.