This study seeks to determine whether gender-inclusive digitalization serves as a transformative mechanism for enhancing national climate resilience, thereby identifying potential synergies between gender equity in the technology sector and environmental risk mitigation. This research investigates the impact of women’s participation in digitalization (WiD) on climate risks (CR) across 28 European countries from 2015 to 2023. Using eight climate risk indicators, exposure to earthquakes, tsunamis, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, storm winds, droughts, and sea-level rise, we measure WiD as the share of women employed in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. Using pooled mean group-autoregressive distributed lag (PMG-ARDL), feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), and panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE), the results indicate that WiD significantly mitigates climate risks in the long run, particularly for earthquakes, tsunamis, and storm winds, although short-term effects are negligible. WiD's protective effects are enhanced by institutional quality, which includes government efficacy, rule of law, and corruption control. These findings underscore the need for sustained investments in women’s digital inclusion and strong institutional frameworks to enhance climate resilience, providing a blueprint for sustainable policy in addressing global climate challenges. • WiD significantly mitigates climate risks across 28 European nations. • Long-run estimation confirms WiD's efficacy in reducing climate hazards. • Digital inclusion lowers exposure to earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms. • Institutional quality amplifies WiD's protective impact on climate risks. • Sustainable policies must integrate women’s digital inclusion frameworks.
Thi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.