Board attributes and environmental and sustainability performance: Moderating role of environmental teams in Asia and Europe

•This article examines the influence of environmental teams on the association between board attributes and environmental and sustainability performance in Asian and European corporates.•Larger boards, greater board independence, higher board expertise, and greater board gender diversity are associated with improved environmental and sustainability performance.•The interaction effect between environmental teams and board size, independence, expertise, and diversity significantly strengthen environmental and sustainability performance.•The impact of board attributes and environmental teams on environmental and sustainability performance is more significant in European countries compared to Asian countries. This study investigates the influence of board attributes and environmental teams on environmental and sustainability performance. The study uses panel data of a sample of 8,094 Asian and European corporations from 2016 to 2021. The findings reveal that board attributes positively influence sustainability performance, except for frequent meetings and tenure that negatively influence sustainability performance. Further, environmental teams significantly moderate the association between board attributes and sustainability performance, which is more effective in European than Asian corporations. The study offers guidance for board members and policymakers to enforce sustainability disclosure regulations and encourages firms to establish environmental teams and committees to promote sustainability performance. [Display omitted]