Do Management Attributes Drive Green Innovation? Evidence From International BRI Economies

ABSTRACT This study investigates how management attributes accelerate green innovation as a pathway toward climate neutrality, emphasizing the mediating role of technological innovation capacity and the moderating role of managerial ability. Focusing on environmentally sensitive manufacturing firms in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) economies across the MENA region, the study employs dynamic panel data from 487 firms covering the period 2013–2024. The Baron and Kenny three‐step mediation procedure is used to examine the mediating mechanism, while interaction‐effect models are applied to test moderation. To address endogeneity concerns and strengthen causal inference, the analysis relies on dynamic GMM estimation. The findings indicate that gender diversity in management, performance‐based incentives, and managerial ownership significantly promote green innovation, whereas larger management teams and longer managerial tenure exert negative effects. Technological innovation capacity partially mediates these relationships, and higher managerial ability strengthens the positive influence of governance‐related mechanisms on green innovation outcomes. These results provide new insights into how firms operating in institutionally constrained environments can strategically configure internal governance structures to promote green innovation. By integrating technological capability as a mediator and managerial ability as a boundary condition, the study contributes to the corporate sustainability and environmental strategy literature. Ultimately, it demonstrates that strengthening internal governance is a critical lever for advancing green innovation and accelerating the transition toward climate neutrality in emerging‐market contexts.