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Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues Open access
Journal Impact FactorTM (2025) 1.5 Q3
Journal Citation IndicatorTM (2025) 0.25 Q4
Received: 2026-01-24  |  Accepted: 2026-03-23  |  Published: 2026-06-30

Title

The gender-sustainability nexus in the European context: a panel data analysis


Abstract

This study analyses the impact of female leadership on sustainable development indicators and environmental efficiency across 28 European countries (EU-27 and Türkiye) over the period 2015–2023. Utilising panel data and fixed-effects econometric models, the relationship between female representation in legislative bodies, government, and corporate governance (boards and executive positions) is investigated in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals Index (SDG Index) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The results confirm a statistically significant positive correlation between the proportion of women in national parliaments and the achievement of systemic sustainability goals, thereby supporting theoretical premises regarding the more pronounced social and ethical orientation of female leaders. With regard to the environmental footprint, the role of corporate gender diversity in mitigating emissions is identified, although this effect remains strongly mediated by macroeconomic factors and the national energy profile. The observed glass cliff phenomenon – whereby women are appointed to senior leadership roles during periods of crisis or downturn – among female executives underscores the necessity for a more in-depth analysis of the institutional context in which leadership is exercised. The scientific novelty lies in the integrated examination of political and corporate power as determinants of sustainability amidst systemic crises. These findings have direct applicability to the formulation of public policies and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies, demonstrating that gender diversity is a critical instrument for accelerating the green transition and achieving socio-economic stability in Europe.


Keywords

female leadership, sustainable development goals, SDG performance, SDGs, carbon emissions, corporate governance, ESG, European Union


JEL classifications

J16 , M14 , Q56 , G34


URI

http://jssidoi.org/jesi/article/6644


DOI


Pages

119-141


Funding

This research is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101179323.

This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Authors

Todorova, Ana
"Angel Kanchev" University of Ruse, Ruse, Bulgaria https://www.uni-ruse.bg
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Kostadinova, Irina
"Angel Kanchev" University of Ruse, Ruse, Bulgaria https://www.uni-ruse.bg
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Venelinova, Nataliya
"Angel Kanchev" University of Ruse, Ruse, Bulgaria https://www.uni-ruse.bg
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Kaya, Tülay
Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey https://www.istanbul.edu.tr
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Fleacă, Elena
National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania https://upb.ro
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Journal title

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues

Volume

13


Number

4


Issue date

June 2026


Issue DOI


ISSN

ISSN 2345-0282 (online)


Publisher

VšĮ Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, Vilnius, Lithuania

Cited

Google Scholar

Article views & downloads

HTML views: 531  |  PDF downloads: 464

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