Purpose

This study examines the effect of female governors (gender effect) on environmental performance in terms of state-level carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in United States.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used annual data from 1970 to 2020 to investigate the relationship between female political leadership and state-level CO2 emissions. Hypothesis was tested through ordinary least squares regression (OLS). The results of the study were also validated using propensity score matching and a difference-in-difference approach.

Findings

This study provides empirical insights into the relationship between female political leadership and state-level CO2 emissions. The findings indicate that female governors have a significant negative impact on state-level CO2 emissions per capita. These results suggest that female political leadership is associated with a reduction in CO2 emissions per capita at the state level. The results also show that states under the leadership of female governors experience lower levels of CO2 emissions than those with male governors, indicating female leadership’s potential to promote environmental sustainability.

Practical implications

The findings of this study have practical implications for policymakers, government officials, and other stakeholders involved in the formulation of strategies to promote environmental sustainability. This study highlights the significant role that female political leader play in mitigating CO2 emissions at the state level. It suggests that promoting female in political leadership positions can lead to more environmentally conscious policy decisions and actions, resulting in reduced CO2 emissions per capita. Policymakers should actively encourage women’s participation in leadership roles to utilize their potential contributions to advancing sustainability goals. Furthermore, organizations that focus on environmental issues should prioritize supporting and promoting female leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to environmental sustainability. Ultimately, this study highlights the need for female in political leadership as a potential strategy to address environmental challenges and advance a more sustainable future.

Originality/value

This study pioneers research on the links between female political leadership and state-level CO2 emissions. This study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the potential role of female political leaders in promoting environmental sustainability. Overall, this study enriches the social role and upper echelons theories literature through empirical evidence.

中文翻译：

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女性政治领导人会让环境变得更环保吗？来自美国的证据

目的

本研究探讨了女性州长（性别效应）对美国州级二氧化碳 (CO2) 排放量的环境绩效的影响。

设计/方法论/途径

该研究使用 1970 年至 2020 年的年度数据来调查女性政治领导力与州级二氧化碳排放之间的关系。通过普通最小二乘回归 (OLS) 检验假设。研究结果还使用倾向评分匹配和双重差分法进行了验证。

发现

这项研究为女性政治领导力与州级二氧化碳排放之间的关系提供了实证见解。研究结果表明，女性州长对州级人均二氧化碳排放量有显着的负面影响。这些结果表明，女性政治领导力与州一级人均二氧化碳排放量的减少有关。结果还表明，女性州长领导下的州的二氧化碳排放量低于男性州长领导下的州，这表明女性领导力具有促进环境可持续性的潜力。

实际影响

这项研究的结果对政策制定者、政府官员和其他参与制定促进环境可持续性战略的利益相关者具有实际意义。这项研究强调了女性政治领袖在州一级减少二氧化碳排放方面发挥的重要作用。它表明，提拔女性担任政治领导职务可以导致更具环保意识的政策决策和行动，从而减少人均二氧化碳排放量。政策制定者应积极鼓励女性担任领导职务，利用她们的潜在贡献来推进可持续发展目标。此外，关注环境问题的组织应优先支持和提拔对环境可持续性做出承诺的女性领导者。最终，这项研究强调了女性参与政治领导的必要性，作为应对环境挑战和推进更可持续的未来的潜在战略。

原创性/价值

这项研究开创了女性政治领导力与州级二氧化碳排放之间联系的研究。这项研究强调了女性政治领导人在促进环境可持续性方面的潜在作用，为文献做出了贡献。总体而言，本研究通过实证证据丰富了社会角色和高层理论文献。