This study investigates the impact of green finance and environmental regulation on carbon emissions in China. The research uses panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (excluding Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) from 2004 to 2021. The development level of green finance is measured using the entropy weight method, and the impact of green finance and environmental regulation on carbon emissions is analyzed using mathematical statistical models. The results show that green finance has a significant inhibitory effect on carbon emissions, with a time lag. The carbon emission reduction effect of green credit is the most obvious, and the impact of green finance on carbon emissions varies by region. Command-controlled and public participation environmental regulation tools play a positive regulatory role in the transmission path of green finance's impact on carbon emissions, while market-driven environmental regulation tools cannot effectively enhance the carbon emission reduction effect of green finance. The study provides insights for formulating flexible and effective green financial policies, strengthening regional cooperation in reducing carbon emissions, and promoting China's "peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality" goals. The research also highlights the importance of considering the nonlinear relationship between green finance and carbon emissions and the heterogeneity of environmental regulation policies in the process of carbon emission reduction. The study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms of green finance and environmental regulation in reducing carbon emissions and provides empirical evidence for policy formulation.This study investigates the impact of green finance and environmental regulation on carbon emissions in China. The research uses panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (excluding Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) from 2004 to 2021. The development level of green finance is measured using the entropy weight method, and the impact of green finance and environmental regulation on carbon emissions is analyzed using mathematical statistical models. The results show that green finance has a significant inhibitory effect on carbon emissions, with a time lag. The carbon emission reduction effect of green credit is the most obvious, and the impact of green finance on carbon emissions varies by region. Command-controlled and public participation environmental regulation tools play a positive regulatory role in the transmission path of green finance's impact on carbon emissions, while market-driven environmental regulation tools cannot effectively enhance the carbon emission reduction effect of green finance. The study provides insights for formulating flexible and effective green financial policies, strengthening regional cooperation in reducing carbon emissions, and promoting China's "peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality" goals. The research also highlights the importance of considering the nonlinear relationship between green finance and carbon emissions and the heterogeneity of environmental regulation policies in the process of carbon emission reduction. The study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms of green finance and environmental regulation in reducing carbon emissions and provides empirical evidence for policy formulation.