Beyond representations: do STEM-educated women directors drive corporate environmental performance?

Purpose This study aims to examine whether science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-educated women directors influence corporate environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors use data from 1,781 nonfinancial firms across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East & Africa from 2016 to 2023, comprising 13,107 firm-year observations. The analysis uses fixed-effects regression and a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. Findings This study finds that STEM-educated women directors significantly improve corporate environmental performance. The cognitive and technical capabilities obtained through STEM education foster innovation and strengthen the quality of environmental risk management. Practical implications These findings offer important insights for stakeholders, suggesting the need to go beyond increasing the numerical representation of women on boards by ensuring diversity in cognitive competence. Recruiting and developing women with STEM backgrounds may be an effective strategy to enhance corporate environmental performance. Social implications The results reinforce the urgency of expanding STEM education opportunities for women to broaden their strategic role in driving sustainability agendas. Originality/value Unlike prior studies that assess gender diversity based on women’s representation, this research offers a novel perspective by highlighting the importance of cognitive and technical competence in strategic decision-making. It demonstrates that STEM-educated women directors are a rare yet valuable strategic resource for strengthening corporate environmental governance, consistent with the upper echelons theory.