Digital platforms are increasingly becoming mainstream channels for public participation in environmental governance. Compared to traditional offline appeals, online environmental appeals have lower marginal costs, faster processing speeds, and a wider social impact. Based on environmental appeal texts from the “Message board for leaders” of People''s Daily Online and government work reports between 2012 and 2022, combined with empirical data from manufacturing listed companies on Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share markets, a comparative analysis is conducted regarding the differential impacts of online and offline environmental appeals on corporate ESG performance. It is found that both online and offline environmental appeals significantly enhance corporate ESG performance. The influence of online appeals is partially mediated through online-offline integrated regulatory mechanisms, whereas offline appeals exclusively function through traditional offline regulatory channels. Furthermore, the moderating effect is examined regarding how government attention allocation in digital transformation and environmental protection domains affects the relationship between public environmental appeals and corporate ESG performance. These findings systematically reveal the complex interactions among public participation, government regulation, and corporate behavior in China''s environmental governance framework. Empirical evidence and theoretical support are provided for promoting the transformation of environmental governance towards a tripartite collaborative model involving government, enterprises, and the public.