The study looked at how following green standards in China affects green development from 1999 to 2019. They found that green standards have a positive impact on green development, especially in promoting eco-friendly production and living. The impact of green standards varies across different regions in China. Both mandatory and recommended green standards help green development, with mandatory standards benefiting production and living, but not the economy. Green standards also help spread green innovation. Lastly, green development and green standards are closely linked across regions, with green standards having a bigger positive impact on green development than expected.