International trade levels can change the relationship between resource endowments and green economic growth. Therefore, this study tested the resource curse hypothesis from the perspective of green growth in China using provincial-level panel data for 2005–2017. Energy conservation and environmental improvement were considered under green growth to further analyze the regional mechanism of the resource curse. A panel threshold model was used to identify the impact of import and export threshold effects on the transformation of this mechanism. The resource curse hypothesis was found to be valid nationwide; it hindered green economic growth mainly by impeding energy conservation and curbing environmental improvement. In terms of regional differences in green growth, resource endowment had a positive impact on the eastern region, a negative impact on the central region, and no effect on the western region. When the levels of import and export trade exceeded the threshold values, the resource curse effect was enhanced by reducing energy conservation and weakened by promoting environmental improvement, respectively. Therefore, the Chinese government should establish a more reasonable import and export trade structure, promote changes to the energy structure and green technological innovation, and reduce the negative impact of resource endowment on green growth.

China’s proposed double carbon goal makes it urgent to promote green consumption and green lifestyles. The present study selected separate economic indicators of urban and rural areas and assigned different weights in the construction of a green consumption indicator system. Based on data from 30 provinces (excluding Tibet) between 2003 and 2019, this study investigated the connections between green consumption, environmental regulations, and carbon emissions, analyzing their mechanism. This study found that green consumption will reduce anthropogenic carbon emissions in the short term but will result in low carbon emissions in the long term. Environmental rules have a definite long-term impact on green consumption, as evidenced by the “U”-shaped trend they follow. Second, this study found that the level of green consumption exhibits a rising and then falling trend on the vegetation’s capacity to sequester carbon, and the impeding force will become stronger over time. Third, this study found that green consumption innately has a degree of inertia and self-enhancement bias.