IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v33y2025i6p8527-8546.html

Climate Change and Women's Barriers to Credit: Global Firm‐Level Analysis of Gender Bias and Climate Risk Policy Thresholds

Author

Listed:
  • Simplice A. Asongu
  • Cherif Abdramane

Abstract

The purpose of this present study is to assess how climate risk mitigates the positive incidence of the female CEOs on credit access. Using the Climate Physical Risk Index (CPRI), we perform an empirical analysis on firm‐level data from over 38,500 firms in 130 countries observed over the period 2006–2020. We find that female entrepreneurs are more constrained in accessing credit when climate risk is high. Furthermore, we show that this negative effect manifests itself both in lower loan demand on the part of firms and in rationing of credit supply. Female CEOs promote access to credit while climate risk mitigates the underlying positive incidence. Avoidable climate risk thresholds in order to maintain the positive effect of female CEOs on access to credit are provided. Our results remain robust to a plethora of tests. Policy implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Simplice A. Asongu & Cherif Abdramane, 2025. "Climate Change and Women's Barriers to Credit: Global Firm‐Level Analysis of Gender Bias and Climate Risk Policy Thresholds," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(6), pages 8527-8546, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:6:p:8527-8546
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.70097
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70097
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.70097?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Baah Aye Kusi & Gloria Dzeha & Kwadwo Kwakye Gyan & Festus Ebo Turkson, 2021. "Debt Capital Structure and Credit Information Sharing: Evidence on Listed Firms from an Emerging Market," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 153-170, April.
    2. Natalia Nehrebecka, 2021. "Climate Risk with Particular Emphasis on the Relationship with Credit-Risk Assessment: What We Learn from Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Vivek Ghosal & Yang Ye, 2015. "Uncertainty and the employment dynamics of small and large businesses," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 529-558, March.
    4. Koetter, Michael & Noth, Felix & Rehbein, Oliver, 2020. "Borrowers under water! Rare disasters, regional banks, and recovery lending," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    5. Andrea Moro & Daniela Maresch & Annalisa Ferrando, 2018. "Creditor protection, judicial enforcement and credit access," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 250-281, February.
    6. Maria Lucia Stefani & Valerio Vacca, 2013. "Credit access for female firms: evidence from a survey on European SMEs," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 176, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    7. Elizabeth Asiedu & James A. Freeman & Akwasi Nti-Addae, 2012. "Access to Credit by Small Businesses: How Relevant Are Race, Ethnicity, and Gender?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(3), pages 532-537, May.
    8. Laura Chiaramonte & Alberto Dreassi & Claudia Girardone & Stefano Piserà, 2022. "Do ESG strategies enhance bank stability during financial turmoil? Evidence from Europe," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(12), pages 1173-1211, August.
    9. Brown, Martin & Jappelli, Tullio & Pagano, Marco, 2009. "Information sharing and credit: Firm-level evidence from transition countries," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 151-172, April.
    10. Chen, Hsuan-Chi & Chou, Robin K. & Lin, Chih-Yung & Lu, Chien-Lin, 2022. "Bank loans during the 2008 quantitative easing," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    11. Kaoru Hosono & Daisuke Miyakawa & Taisuke Uchino & Makoto Hazama & Arito Ono & Hirofumi Uchida & Iichiro Uesugi, 2016. "Natural Disasters, Damage To Banks, And Firm Investment," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 57, pages 1335-1370, November.
    12. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chih-Wei & Thinh, Bui Tien & Xu, Zhi-Ting, 2022. "Climate risk and bank liquidity creation: International evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    13. Beirne, John & Renzhi, Nuobu & Volz, Ulrich, 2021. "Feeling the heat: Climate risks and the cost of sovereign borrowing," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 920-936.
    14. Alberto Bennardo & Marco Pagano & Salvatore Piccolo, 2015. "Multiple Bank Lending, Creditor Rights, and Information Sharing," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 19(2), pages 519-570.
    15. Ivan Faiella & Filippo Natoli, 2018. "Natural catastrophes and bank lending: the case of flood risk in Italy," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 457, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    16. Raffaella Calabrese & Marta Degl’Innocenti & Si Zhou, 2022. "Expectations of access to debt finance for SMEs in times of uncertainty," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(6), pages 1351-1378, November.
    17. Francesco Dottori & Wojciech Szewczyk & Juan-Carlos Ciscar & Fang Zhao & Lorenzo Alfieri & Yukiko Hirabayashi & Alessandra Bianchi & Ignazio Mongelli & Katja Frieler & Richard A. Betts & Luc Feyen, 2018. "Increased human and economic losses from river flooding with anthropogenic warming," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(9), pages 781-786, September.
    18. Vanessa S. Tchamyou & Simplice A. Asongu, 2017. "Information Sharing and Financial Sector Development in Africa," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 24-49, January.
    19. Beck, Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli, 2006. "Small and medium-size enterprises: Access to finance as a growth constraint," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2931-2943, November.
    20. Aristei, David & Gallo, Manuela, 2016. "Does gender matter for firms' access to credit? Evidence from international data," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 67-75.
    21. Van de Ven, Wynand P. M. M. & Van Praag, Bernard M. S., 1981. "The demand for deductibles in private health insurance : A probit model with sample selection," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 229-252, November.
    22. Allison, Lee & Liu, Yu & Murtinu, Samuele & Wei, Zuobao, 2023. "Gender and firm performance around the world: The roles of finance, technology and labor," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    23. Osei-Tutu, Francis & Weill, Laurent, 2023. "Democracy favors access to credit of firms," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    24. Radeef Chundakkadan & Subash Sasidharan, 2022. "Gender gap and access to finance: A cross‐country analysis," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 180-207, February.
    25. Francesco Dottori & Wojciech Szewczyk & Juan-Carlos Ciscar & Fang Zhao & Lorenzo Alfieri & Yukiko Hirabayashi & Alessandra Bianchi & Ignazio Mongelli & Katja Frieler & Richard A. Betts & Luc Feyen, 2018. "Author Correction: Increased human and economic losses from river flooding with anthropogenic warming," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(11), pages 1021-1021, November.
    26. Karapetyan, Artashes & Stacescu, Bogdan, 2014. "Does information sharing reduce the role of collateral as a screening device?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 48-57.
    27. Viet Do & Thu Ha Nguyen & Cameron Truong & Tram Vu, 2021. "Is drought risk priced in private debt contracts?," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 21(2), pages 724-737, June.
    28. Florian Léon & Laurent Weill, 2024. "Elections hinder firms' access to credit," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(1), pages 73-107, January.
    29. Cortés, Kristle Romero & Strahan, Philip E., 2017. "Tracing out capital flows: How financially integrated banks respond to natural disasters," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1), pages 182-199.
    30. Leon, Florian, 2015. "Does bank competition alleviate credit constraints in developing countries?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 130-142.
    31. Kaoru Hosono & Daisuke Miyakawa & Taisuke Uchino & Makoto Hazama & Arito Ono & Hirofumi Uchida & Iichiro Uesugi, 2016. "Natural Disasters, Damage To Banks, And Firm Investment," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 57(4), pages 1335-1370, November.
    32. Idris A. Adediran & Phebian N. Bewaji & Olajide O. Oyadeyi, 2024. "Climate Risk and Stock Markets: Implications for Market Efficiency and Return Predictability," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(9), pages 1908-1928, July.
    33. Rachel Croson & Uri Gneezy, 2009. "Gender Differences in Preferences," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(2), pages 448-474, June.
    34. Sah, Nilesh B. & Adhikari, Hari P. & Krolikowski, Marcin W. & Malm, James & Nguyen, Thanh T., 2022. "CEO gender and risk aversion: Further evidence using the composition of firm’s cash," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    35. Sandra Batten, & Rhiannon Sowerbutts & Misa Tanaka, 2016. "Let’s talk about the weather: the impact of climate change on central banks," Bank of England working papers 603, Bank of England.
    36. Torsten Ehlers & Frank Packer & Kathrin de Greiff, 2022. "The pricing of carbon risk in syndicated loans: which risks are priced and why?," IFC Bulletins chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Statistics for Sustainable Finance, volume 56, Bank for International Settlements.
    37. Baah Aye Kusi & Mary Opoku†Mensah, 2018. "Does credit information sharing affect funding cost of banks? Evidence from African banks," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(1), pages 19-28, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shouwei Li & Qingqing Li & Shuai Lu, 2024. "The impact of climate risk on credit supply to private and public sectors: an empirical analysis of 174 countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 2443-2465, January.
    2. Avril, Pauline & Levieuge, Grégory & Turcu, Camelia, 2025. "Natural disasters and financial stress: can macroprudential regulation tame green swans?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2021. "Information Asymmetry and Insurance in Africa," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 394-410, July.
    4. Wu, Baohui & Wen, Fenghua & Zhang, Yun & Huang, Zhijian (James), 2024. "Climate risk and the systemic risk of banks: A global perspective," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    5. Ghosh, Saibal, 2023. "Does climate legislation matter for bank lending? Evidence from MENA countries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    6. Shala, Iliriana & Schumacher, Benno, 2022. "The impact of natural disasters on banks' impairment flow: Evidence from Germany," Discussion Papers 36/2022, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    7. Shouwei Li & Xin Wu, 2023. "How does climate risk affect bank loan supply? Empirical evidence from China," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2169-2204, August.
    8. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2018. "Information asymmetry, financialization, and financial access," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 297-315, December.
    9. Liu, Zhonglu & He, Shuguang & Men, Wenjiao & Sun, Haibo, 2024. "Impact of climate risk on financial stability: Cross-country evidence," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    10. Abedifar, Pejman & Kashizadeh, Seyed Javad & Ongena, Steven, 2024. "Flood, farms and credit: The role of branch banking in the era of climate change," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    11. Breckenfelder, Johannes & Maćkowiak, Bartosz & Marqués-Ibáñez, David & Olovsson, Conny & Popov, Alexander & Porcellacchia, Davide & Schepens, Glenn, 2023. "The climate and the economy," Working Paper Series 2793, European Central Bank.
    12. repec:ecb:ecbdps:202322 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Kusi, Baah Aye & Agbloyor, Elikplimi Komla & Gyeke-Dako, Agyapomaa & Asongu, Simplice Anutechia, 2020. "Financial Sector transparency and net interest margins: Should the private or public Sector lead financial Sector transparency?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    14. Tetsuji Okazaki & Toshihiro Okubo & Eric Strobl, 2020. "The Bright and Dark Side of Financial Support from Local and Central Banks after a Natural Disaster: Evidence from the Great Kanto Earthquake, 1923 Japan," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2020-001, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    15. de Andrés, Pablo & Gimeno, Ricardo & Mateos de Cabo, Ruth, 2021. "The gender gap in bank credit access," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    16. Boateng, Agyenim & Asongu, Simplice & Akamavi, Raphael & Tchamyou, Vanessa, 2018. "Information asymmetry and market power in the African banking industry," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 69-83.
    17. Pedro Manuel Nogueira Reis & António Pedro Soares Pinto, 2022. "How Do Banking Characteristics Influence Companies’ Debt Features and Performance during COVID-19? A Study of Portuguese Firms," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-29, October.
    18. Stefania Basiglio & Paola Vincentiis & Eleonora Isaia & Mariacristina Rossi, 2023. "Women-led Firms and Credit Access. A Gendered Story?," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(1), pages 199-233, March.
    19. Jean-Christophe Statnik & Thi-Le-Giang Vu & Laurent Weill, 2023. "Does Corruption Discourage More Female Entrepreneurs from Applying for Credit?," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 65(1), pages 1-28, March.
    20. Bank for International Settlements, 2023. "The effects of climate change-related risks on banks: a literature review," BCBS Working Papers 40, Bank for International Settlements.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:33:y:2025:i:6:p:8527-8546. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.