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Ecological changes and deformations put nations around the world under socioeconomic pressure and are thus an important topic of discourse. In this framework, this study explores the effect of economic progress, natural resources, renewable energy and financial development on load capacity factor (proxy of ecological quality) utilizing the second‐generation approach for the case of the BRICS economies. Moreover, the paper explores the validity of the load capacity curve (LCC) hypothesis that has been recently introduced in the energy economics literature for the period between 1990 and 2018. The research results disprove the validity of the LCC hypothesis for the BRICS nations. Moreover, economic progress, financial development and natural resources cause ecological quality to decline, while renewable energy improves ecological quality. The panel causality results also support these results. Among several recommendations, the research advises that governments and policymakers advocate for reforms to promote renewable energy sources. The BRICS countries can go green and maintain ecological sustainability through this transition towards renewable energies, which is also a top priority of the UN's SDG 7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming and environmental degradation caused essentially by changes in climate have attracted enormous surveillance considering the menace of its reverberation on the health of humans during the past two decades. Utilization of energy and financial development (FD) are among the key drivers of climatic change. Thus, using second‐generation panel cointegration (the Westerlund, 2007 error‐correction model), pooled mean group autoregressive distributive lag model (PMG‐ARDL), and the panel dynamic ordinary least square (PDOLS) estimation techniques, the paper scrutinized the nexus between financial development, clean energy usage, economic growth, and environmental quality (proxied by CO2 emissions) of BRICS countries starting from 1980 to 2018. The findings from the study reveal that economic growth and labor force participation, in the long run, deteriorate the environmental quality by increasing the effusion of carbon. Contrarily, financial development, industrialization, trade openness, and renewable energy usage enhance the environmental quality of BRICS countries in the long run. In the short run, financial development was found to have a significant positive impact on the environmental quality of Brazil, China, and Russia, while it is negative for South Africa and India. The outcome of the PVECM Granger causality test reveals a two‐way Granger causality that runs from renewable energy to carbon emissions in the short run. The policy implication of this study is that the government of BRICS countries needs to concentrate on improving their clean energy sources and also work on their industries. The BRICS nations' governments should formulate financial and trade policies that promote a sustainable environment and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manuscript describes the development of the Food and Energy Security Journal, from creation to now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overview: darkness before the dawn? A number of indicators suggest the global economy may decelerate into the year-end., One especially worrying development is an apparent renewed softening in world trade growth. Our OE export indicator dropped in October to its lowest level since May 2013 and some other trade indicators (e.g. for container trade) have also been subdued., At a country level, growth has remained subdued in the Eurozone, prompting another slight forecast downgrade this month. Japan meanwhile slipped back into technical recession in Q3., Emerging markets remain mixed but with an overall soft tone. Among the BRIC economies there are few signs yet of a significant cyclical upturn - and in Russia the situation has deteriorated further., There has been better news from the US, where Q3 growth again came in at an annualised rate above 3% and jobs growth continues at over 200,000 a month. Consumer spending growth ebbed a little in Q3 but we expect it to pick up in the quarters ahead., Despite some gloomy near-term signals, there are a number of key positive factors for 2015 and beyond. The first is the fall in oil prices - now almost 30% down from the June peak - which will support consumer spending and lower business costs., And global policy settings are becoming more supportive. Though the US has now ended asset purchases, the Bank of Japan has announced a big increase in asset purchases. And with the ECB suggesting a possible €1 trillion increase in its balance sheet, the flow of central bank policy support in 2015/16 may not be very different from 2014., Fiscal policy may also be moving in a more positive direction. The Eurozone seems to be edging away from austerity while in Japan there is a strong possibility that the second rise in the consumption tax, planned for Q4 2015, will be delayed., These positive factors mean that we expect world GDP growth to firm from 2.6% in 2014 to 2.8% next year. This will be the best year since 2011, though growth will remain sub-par for a recovery period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the Indian scholarly publishing market in terms of the demographics, market verticals, research institutions, sources and patterns of funding, and the burgeoning potential of the globalised Indian economy. It explores the feasibility for entry of international publishers and tried and tested business models. The analysis covers the nuances of the growth drivers and inhibitors, the current success and status of existing players, and the key challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]