As global environmental issues intensify, enterprises face increasing pressure to pursue sustainable development. China’s manufacturing industry plays a critical role by significantly contributing to GDP, job creation, and export volumes globally. However, its rapid expansion, fueled by intensive resource consumption, has caused environmental degradation and increasing emissions. Consequently, China risks lagging behind other industrialized nations unless strides are made toward sustainable development. This study, grounded in the context of China’s manufacturing industry, develops a conceptual framework to examine the influence of Proactive Environmental Strategy (PES) and Environmental Collaboration (EC) on sustainability performance. PES refers to proactive environmental initiatives undertaken by enterprises to surpass basic regulatory requirements, aiming to enhance resource efficiency and minimize environmental impacts. EC focuses on collaborative efforts between enterprises and their upstream and downstream supply chain partners to jointly advance environmental management practices. The proposed framework highlights the mediating role of environmental collaboration in proactive environmental strategies to enhance corporate sustainable performance. It specifically addresses how to achieve three dimensions of sustainability performance, including environmental, economic and social aspects. This study will use quantitative methods with data collection through surveys distributed to manufacturing companies in Shaanxi province of China. Structural equation modeling will be employed to find out the relationship between variables. The contribution of this study lies in offering theoretical foundations and practical guidance for China’s manufacturing sector in adopting sustainable strategies. By identifying critical driving factors and mediating variables, it provides enterprises with pathways to achieve green transformation in complex environments. Furthermore, this framework offers a solid basis for future research and provides policymakers with actionable insights to bridge micro-level practices with macro-level sustainability goals.