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The aim of this paper was to examine whether the COVID-19 epidemic has slowed the fulfilment of one of the core tasks of the energy sector "Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All" (SDG7) taking into account corporate social responsibility. Four research questions and hypotheses were posed, relating to the perspectives of local authorities, the activities of large energy companies, the impact of the epidemic on the implementation of the SDG7 and, in addition, to the understanding of CSR principles from the point of view of ordinary entrepreneurs. A qualitative descriptive analysis based on two reliable databases and a survey procedure (Question 4) was used to answer the research questions posed. The goal was achieved by positively confirming three hypotheses and testing one negatively, relating to COVID-19's slowing role in SDG7 implementation. The analysis showed that the 2020–2021 epidemic in Poland has led to more initiatives in this area, contrary to expectations. However, they were linked to the simultaneous implementation of other SDGs, which distorted their importance for achieving Goal 7. In summary, although energy companies were more active than expected during the epidemic, they had a low contribution to SDG 7. This also applies to local authorities. An analysis of the knowledge about CSR in a group of entrepreneurs from the Lublin district (case study) confirmed the opinion appearing in the literature about the lack of understanding of the concept and the need for its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the expectations of the inhabitants of south-eastern Poland in relation to the main trends emerging in the energy market, in a specific crisis situation resulting from the response to COVID-19. The time range of the research covered the period from March to December 2022, i.e., the time just after the official easing of the most drastic restrictions related to COVID-19 in Poland. The CAWI method was used in the study. Access to the survey form was granted to several dozen people, who invited other respondents to participate in the survey. A total of 732 questionnaires were collected, of which 637 were verified, meeting the research assumptions regarding the place of residence of the respondents. The study was correlational in nature, as it looked for relationships between the examined features, without the possibility of influencing the level of individual variables. As the study used non-probability sampling, the inferences apply only to the study group. Two research questions were formulated: (1) Did the COVID-19 crisis shape the expectations of the inhabitants of south-eastern Poland regarding the energy market, and were these expectations consistent with the policies of the state and the European Union? (2) Were perceptions of the energy market and social phenomena differentiated in terms of sex, place of residence, and type of heating in the respondent's apartments? Statistical analyses of the collected material were performed using Statistica13.3 and MS Excel 19. The greatest support among respondents was recorded for the optimal use of the country's own energy resources, and the development of energy networks, in conjunction with the expansion of its own energy potential, and improvement of energy efficiency. Respondents confirmed the need to increase the use of renewable energy sources. However, the EU trend of abandoning electricity production in nuclear power plants was not confirmed. This is also evidenced by Poland's energy policy, which emphasizes the development of the nuclear energy market. Men were more positive than women about the implementation of nuclear energy in Poland. Women rated the development of RES use higher than men. Both women and men had a more positive attitude toward renewable energy than toward nuclear energy. Respondents living in rural areas assessed the development of RES higher and showed greater interest in increasing energy efficiency. The limitations of this study are that all the variables were measured simultaneously, so the study is cross-sectional, and additional attention may need to be paid to other causes of the studied phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]