This study explores the impact of environmental degradation on public debt in the largest Southeast Asian (ASEAN-5) countries. Prior research has not examined environmental degradation as a possible determinant of public debt in the ASEAN region. As such, the primary objective is to examine key determinants of public debt, notably economic growth, trade openness, investment, and environmental degradation. Utilizing the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method and data from 1996 to 2021, the study reveals a negative correlation between investment and public debt. Conversely, a positive relationship exists between economic growth, environmental degradation, and public debt levels. These findings hold significant implications for policymakers seeking to craft effective economic and environmental strategies to ensure sustainable development in the ASEAN-5 region. Stronger economic growth can drive up public debt. Importantly, the study highlights the importance of tailored approaches, considering each country’s unique fiscal and developmental characteristics. Applying the Two-Gap Model enhances the understanding of these complex dynamics in shaping public debt and its relationship with environmental factors.

The research objective is to affirm the play of gender diversity and the role of leaders in promoting the concept among businesses for growth and long-term sustainability. The detailed literature search indicated that the culture of gender diversity can only be implemented if the leader practices three key leadership elements, which are effective communication (EC), emotional intelligence (EI), and better decision-making (DM). The paper strives to project the importance of gender diversity in managing market competition, the role of a leader in managing gender diversity, and how gender diversity impacts business growth and sustainability. The paper provides a different model for organizational leaders to instill and promote diversity. The study undertook a literature research approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the leadership role based on the current pool of literature to identify the factors that could promote diversity. The literature review concurred with the importance of implementing gender diversity in the business and assessing the long-term growth and the critical role of leadership as an enabler. The research concluded that leaders are required to play an active role in promoting gender equality to ensure it would directly impact business growth. The study provides a potential conceptual framework for future research to take over subsequently using a quantitative or qualitative method.