Considering the environmental deterioration mainly caused by manufacturing industries and inadequate studies identifying the factors facilitating firms to counter this issue, the current study aims to examine the underlying relationship between total quality management (TQM) and corporate green performance (CGP), and analyses how TQM impacts on CGP. This study also investigates the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the relationship between TQM and CGP and examines how CSR mediates the relationship between them. Six TQM practices are taken from the American “Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awad”; CGP includes green management strategies, green processes and green products performance; and CSR comprises of social, employees and customers dimensions. The researcher collected data from the managers of the medium and large-size manufacturing firms located in Pakistan. The structural analyses indicated a significant and positive impact of TQM on CGP with β and p-values of 0.259 and 0.003, respectively. This indicates TQM significantly enhances organizational capabilities to achieve green performance objectives. TQM also indicated a significant and positive impact on CSR with a β-value of 0.271 and a p-value of 0.002; moreover, a similar impact of CSR is found on CGP with β and p-values of 0.189 and 0.018, respectively. Finally, CSR is found to act as a partial mediator in the relationship between TQM and CGP. The contextual analysis indicates that TQM is equally important for all sizes firms for CGP; however, the level of CSR varies. Moreover, government support is imperative for firms to achieve CGP objectives. Display omitted •Total quality management (TQM) significantly impacts on corporate green performance (CGP).•TQM has a significant and positive impact on corporate social responsibility (CSR).•CSR mediates the relationship between TQM and CGP.•Firm-size has insignificant role in the relationship between TQM and CGP.•Government support is imperative to achieve CGP goals.