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The sustainable development of enterprises is based on three pillars: economic, social, and environmental. Sustainable development aims to limit climate change and its negative impact on the natural environment. The main aim of this paper is to assess the impact of selected energy economy factors (government expenditure, environmental taxes, outlays on renewable energy sources, prices of futures contracts for CO2 emissions, outlays on R&D, and the EU Emissions Trading System (ETSEU)) on the sustainable development of the energy sectors in Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, and Poland, from 2008 to 2022. We use the correlation coefficients, the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Vector Autoregressive (VAR) Models, and the simultaneous equation. The research results indicate a variation in the direction and strength of the influence of individual economic factors in the studied countries (p < 0.05). The results can support operational and strategic decisions sustaining the sustainable development of enterprises in the analyzed countries. The results indicate the need to reform selected economic factors, with an emphasis on the increased importance of environmental taxes and the reform of the EU ETS, which is a key tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions cost-effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional agriculture is a continuation of the meaning of diversification. It is a way of undertaking an agricultural endeavor, combining different practices from different sectors. The idea behind such an approach is to use the typical resources of agricultural holdings to achieve results related to other sectors. Multifunctionality can refer to different functions. It has been adopted in agriculture as a paradigm of sustainable agricultural practices to achieve better rural development. Multifunctional agriculture can be an important factor in the economic development of both farmers and rural areas. The aim of the study is to analyze the economic, social and environmental effects of the application of multifunctional agriculture. The research is based on good practices of different farms in Bulgaria. The results show that multifunctional agriculture stabilizes the economic condition of agricultural holdings and contributes to the development of the rural areas in which they are located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]