Abstract: This paper took the pilot project of the treatment of heavy metal-contaminated cultivated land (THMCL) in Chang-Zhu-Tan region in 2014 as a quasi-natural experiment, and empirically tested the green development effect of the THMCL by SBM-Undesirable model and Difference-in-Difference Method. The results show that: （1） theoretically, the THMCL affects the level of regional green development from the following four aspects, green policy supply, green technology innovation, green capital support, and green bonus spillover. （2） the pilot project of the THMCL in Chang-Zhu-Tan region has significantly promoted the regional green development. Results of Difference-in-Difference model shows that the contribution rate of this treatment practice is 17.7%, which has passed the parallel trend assumption and counterfactual test. （3） the promotion effect of the THMCL on green development is influenced by the level of rural economics, technological innovation ability and cultivated land resource endowment. To improve the system of the THMCL and enhance the ability of the THMCL, China should take diversified measures based on the basic requirements of national governance modernization.