LAUSR

This study investigates how executive green awareness (EGA) affects environmental innovation efficiency (EIE) and how this relationship is conditioned by media attention within different institutional contexts. Using panel data from Chinese listed firms (2013–2023), we find that EGA significantly promotes both green R&D intensity and transformation efficiency. We further distinguish the media attention into media volume and media sentiment. The main effect is amplified under high media volume and favorable sentiment, which suggests that media attention could act as an institutional trigger that activates executive cognition. Further analyses show that EGA's influence is stronger in state‐owned enterprises and developed regions, reflecting disparities in resources, regulatory alignment, and government support. These findings aim to expand upper echelons theory by highlighting the cognitive nature of EGA and contribute to institutional theory by framing media as an institutional actor in a firm's EIE performance. It offers actionable insights for business strategy and policymakers aiming to build inclusive, cognition‐driven sustainability capacity.