This paper investigates the connection of green innovation ability established between firms before and after executive migration. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms from 2002 to 2020, we document a peer effect between the green innovation performance of the preceding and succeeding firms under migrating executives. The similarity of the green innovation performance from one firm to the next as executives switch jobs still holds true after addressing endogeneity problem and conducting several robustness checks, but it is contingent on varying ethical groups. Collectively, our study considers the ethical issues and policy constrains present in the process of executive migration, enriching the peer effect of green innovation outside the same industry, same region and same education background of executives and enhancing the understanding of peer effects among groups with unique ethical norms.