Environmental patents are a key indicator of countries' green innovation capacity. Existing cross-country studies have predominantly focused on economic and environmental determinants of green patents, overlooking two structural dimensions: the role of gender equality in aggregate innovation capacity and the contribution of international academic mobility to green technology diffusion. This study addresses both gaps using data for 167 countries over 2014–2023, a period covering the post-Paris Agreement phase and the consolidation of Erasmus+ as a structured mobility programme. We test two hypotheses: (H1) gender inequality is negatively associated with environmental patenting; (H2) participation in EU -funded international mobility projects, designed to promote shared values and sustainability, is positively associated with green innovation.
Multilevel Evidence on Environmental Patents: The Role of Gender Equality and International Mobility Projects
Concetta Castiglione;Elena Iakimova
;Janna Smirnova;Marianna Succurro
2026-01-01
Abstract
Environmental patents are a key indicator of countries' green innovation capacity. Existing cross-country studies have predominantly focused on economic and environmental determinants of green patents, overlooking two structural dimensions: the role of gender equality in aggregate innovation capacity and the contribution of international academic mobility to green technology diffusion. This study addresses both gaps using data for 167 countries over 2014–2023, a period covering the post-Paris Agreement phase and the consolidation of Erasmus+ as a structured mobility programme. We test two hypotheses: (H1) gender inequality is negatively associated with environmental patenting; (H2) participation in EU -funded international mobility projects, designed to promote shared values and sustainability, is positively associated with green innovation.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
