Green credit policy, as one type of social responsibility taken on by financial institutions, is critical in promoting energy saving and emission reduction. To investigate the impact of green credit on energy consumption intensity, this research builds a panel model using data samples from 30 Chinese provinces, cities, and autonomous areas from 2012 to 2020. The findings reveal that green credit policies have a significant inhibitory influence on energy consumption, with the inhibitory effect being more prominent in the eastern and western regions. Local governments and financial institutions should promote the expansion of green credit scale with policy orientation, allocate loan resources rationally, and build a green credit policy system in line with local development laws to give full play to its energy-saving and emission reduction effects.