Chlorophyll degradation, marked by the loss of green color, is a prominent feature of okra storage after harvest, posing challenges for its storage, transportation, and marketability. In order to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of chlorophyll degradation in okras, we isolated and characterized AeABR1, a repressor of abscisic acid (ABA) that belongs to the ethylene-responsive element-binding factor (ERF/AP2) superfamily of ERF transcription factors. The transcriptional levels of AeABR1 during storage were closely linked to the degreening of okra fruit (R-values ranging from -0.714 to -0.516, P <
0.05) and the production of ethylene (R = -0.362, P <
0.05). Subcellular localization analysis revealed that AeABR1 was mostly located in the nucleus. Functional studies demonstrated that the transient expression of AeABR1 induced rapid chlorophyll degradation in the leaves of okra and N. benthamiana. Similar results were observed in transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings expressing AeABR1, which exhibited yellowing growth phenotypes, reduced chlorophyll content, and elevated chlorophyll catabolic genes (CCGs) expression levels. AeABR1 substantially induced the activities of AeCLH1 promoters. These findings indicated that AeABR1 may act as an activator of AeCLH1 genes and an accelerator of chlorophyll degradation in post-harvest okras.