This study examines the effect of different dimensions of globalization on green productivity growth in Iran’s economy over 1350–1402 (1971–2023). Green productivity is measured by the Global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) index, with labor, capital stock, and energy consumption as inputs, GDP as the desirable output, and CO₂ emissions as the undesirable output. The effects of six globalization formulations—overall, de facto, de jure, economic, social, and political—are estimated using ARDL and NARDL methods, controlling for urban population growth (UPG), foreign direct investment as a ratio of GDP (FDIR), trade openness (Trade), and government size (GS). The bounds test confirms a long-run relationship in twelve specifications. In the ARDL models, all six globalization formulations have a positive and significant long-run relationship with GML. In the NARDL models, the positive component of overall globalization, the positive component of de jure globalization, both components of economic globalization, the positive component of political globalization, and the positive component of social globalization are significant; no significant evidence is found for de facto globalization. Among the controls, UPG has a positive relationship in several models, and FDIR has a significant negative relationship in some specifications; the long-run coefficients of Trade and GS are not significant. The findings emphasize the quality of international linkages and the economy’s ability to convert them into technology and production efficiency.