Green transformation is an important topic in today's society. This study investigated the catalytic role of gender equality in green transformation through a global dynamic model. By analyzing panel data from multiple countries from 1995 to 2023, this study found a significant inverted U-shaped relationship exists between gender inequality index and carbon intensity, confirming that gender equality reduces CO emissions only after exceeding key institutional thresholds. Further mediation analysis indicates that the adoption of renewable energy is a key pathway, and gender equality indirectly reduces emissions by increasing the share of RPE, accounting for 30.1% of the total explanatory power. After controlling Gross Domestic Product (GDP), industrialization, urbanization, and energy efficiency, the results remain strong. This article concludes that institutional reforms that empower women in governance have accelerated the energy transition and proposes gender mainstreaming policies such as gender quotas in green finance and green skills training for women as catalysts for synergistic promotion of environmental and social justice.
Qin Huang (Wed,) studied this question.