Green financing of eco-innovations: is the gender inclusivity taken care of?

Abstract

The OECD countries are in pursuit of the betterment of environmental quality based on their capability of Eco-innovation. This progression might pave their ways in attaining the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs). Developing a green financing channel for funding is necessary for the sustenance of these projects. However, the potential impact of this project financing mechanisms is conditional on the social balance in the economic system. Gender inequality being a major social issue in the OECD countries, it might pose a predicament in attaining the full potential of the green financing of eco-innovations. It is anticipated that the eco-innovation endeavors in the OECD countries are not gender-inclusive, and hence, gender inequality might limit the cognitive aptitude of these endeavors. The present study intends to assess the moderating role of gender inequality on the impact of green financing of eco-innovations for the OECD countries. Using the dynamic elasticity modeling approach, the study finds that the presence of gender inequality dampens the potential of green financing mechanisms to boost eco-innovations. The social imbalance caused by gender inequality also weakens the impacts of the structural and institutional environment to foster innovations. Based on the findings of the study, an SDG-oriented policy framework has been suggested.