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2025-11-25
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Copyright (c) 2025 Omar Saad Ahmed, Doaa Saad Jasim, Zina Muin Mohammed, Rasha Abdulkhaliq Abduljabbar Al-Dargazaly, Hasan Ali Abbas

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How to Cite
Gender Diversity in Environmental Leadership and Its Impact on Sustainability
Omar Saad Ahmed
Al-Turath University, Baghdad 10013, Iraq
Doaa Saad Jasim
Al-Mansour University College, Baghdad 10067, Iraq
Zina Muin Mohammed
Al-Mamoon University College, Baghdad 10012, Iraq
Rasha Abdulkhaliq Abduljabbar Al-Dargazaly
Al-Rafidain University College, Baghdad 10064, Iraq
Hasan Ali Abbas
Madenat Alelem University College, Baghdad 10006, Iraq
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i11.3977
Keywords: Gender diversity; environmental sustainability; corporate governance; leadership representation; sustainability performance; resource efficiency; carbon emissions.
Abstract
Background: Growing scholarship suggests that leadership gender diversity may influence corporate sustainability performance, yet systematic cross-sector evidence remains limited. This study investigates the relationship between female leadership representation and key environmental performance indicators, addressing a notable gap in empirical sustainability literature.
Objective: This study aims to examine the association between gender diversity in senior leadership and corporate environmental sustainability performance across multiple sectors.
Methods: The study analyzes a stratified sample of 50 organizations across energy, manufacturing, environmental services, technology, and logistics sectors in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative analysis of environmental performance metrics, as: carbon emissions, energy consumption, waste diversion rates, and water-use efficiency with 10 semi-structured interviews conducted with senior executives. Quantitative methods included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression models controlling for sector, size, and region.
Results: Organizations in the highest quartile of gender diversity (46% women in leadership) showed 40.8% lower carbon emissions, 28.6% higher energy efficiency, 20% higher waste diversion, and 24.1% greater water-use efficiency compared to organizations in the lowest quartile. Regression models confirmed statistically significant associations between female leadership and composite sustainability performance (β = 0.43, p < 0.01), explaining R² = 0.61 of the variances.
Conclusion: Gender-inclusive leadership is strongly associated with improved environmental performance across multiple indicators. While the study does not claim causality, the findings indicate that gender-diverse leadership teams adopt more structured, consistent, and proactive sustainability practices. Further research is recommended to explore longitudinal effects, regulatory interactions, and the roles of mid-level managers and broader gender identities.
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