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In 2023, a major earthquake struck Turkey, leaving thousands dead and exposing the country's corruption problems. The current Turkish president Erdoğan was sworn into power in 2003. Erdoğan's government has completely transformed the country with construction projects that have provided a huge economic boost. However, successive amnesties and non‐compliance with building regulations have uncovered cases of corruption. This paper analyses the evolution of corruption in Turkey during Erdoğan's rule. Several indicators are considered, such as the Corruption Perception Index, the Index on Impartial Administration or the V‐Dem Indicator on Political Corruption. The results indicate that two distinct stages can be distinguished during Erdoğan's term in office. The first stage was marked by a reduction in the perception of corruption, and the second stage was marked by an increase in the number of tenders for public works and corruption. Finally, several policy recommendations are proposed to reduce corruption in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are making great efforts to provide quality and inclusive education for all. However, the number of students with disabilities or educational needs studying higher education is still low. Student support resources are essential to the success of inclusive education. An inclusive education indicator has been developed that establishes a ranking of those universities best prepared to offer inclusive resources. As an example, the indicator has been developed for the case of Spanish public universities, based on information provided by the Spanish Network of Support Services for People with Disabilities at University, which produced an online University Guide for Students with Disabilities with several areas and points that collect information on the resources available at universities. This indicator is dynamic and can be updated quickly and easily. Through it, universities may know in which aspects they need to improve. In addition, they could take as a reference those universities that are better positioned according to the value of the indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the role of accounting in disaster mitigation and the importance of transparency to avoid corruption. During the Ukrainian war, accounting has allowed the redistribution of war material, the quantification of economic aid, or the efficient management of humanitarian aid. This paper aims to set a research agenda on transparency and corruption in foreign aid to a fragile and conflict‐affected country. In order to analyze the situation of corruption in Ukraine during the war, first a review of the latest corrupt events is carried out and its position in the Corruption Perception Indicator is analyzed. Subsequently, we analyze the aid that Ukraine has received from other countries and institutions, and whether it is transparent. The possible dependence of the Corruption Perception Indicator on the transparency index of each country in the management of aid to Ukraine is studied. This article links corruption, transparency and accounting in the context of the Ukrainian war, highlighting the important role of auditing and financial controls, and presents proposals for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the local debt in Spanish municipalities with negative consequences on the macroeconomic financial stability at national and eurozone level. The main objective is to identify the causes of public debt per capita in four groups of Spanish municipalities according to size. It is based on a quantitative analysis based on correlational and causal-comparative approaches. It consists in the construction of panel quantile regressions (MMQ) and mean group (ME) estimators to explain public debt per capita in Spanish municipalities. Moreover, the Juodis test for causality analysis in panel data is applied. The research is constructed around various types of potential determinants related to economic factors (GDP per capita and unemployment rate), demographic factors (population under 15 and population over 65), and political factors (political party, ideology, and political strength). The results based on MMQR for the period 2011–2020 indicate common factors that reduce local debt (short-run economic growth), but also differences between clusters in what concerns factors that increase or decrease the debt. The Juodis et al. (2021) test shows that growth and unemployment are factors that influence the level of public debt in all groups of municipalities except one (5001–20,000 inhabitants) where political party affects debt. These empirical findings support policy proposals to reduce the local debt in Spanish municipalities. The main initiatives to reduce debt should be based on the promotion of economic growth and creation of new jobs, especially for young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a major humanitarian catastrophe. The war in Ukraine has also had serious global consequences. During the war, another of Ukraine's major problems, corruption, was also exposed. In response to these cases, the Ukrainian president has tried to crack down on fraud and corruption. Ukraine is a highly corrupt country, as indicated by the Corruption Perceptions Index. This article outlines Ukraine's corruption problem during the war, and the main forms of corruption, analyzes the country's performance in the Corruption Perceptions Index, and presents a 10‐point checklist of measures and policies to combat and end corruption in the short and long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to identify the current situation of higher education institutions in Spain regarding the introduction of the Sustainable Development Goals in the classroom, and what is the role of mathematics in this task. Design/methodology/approach: A review is made of how the concept of sustainability has evolved in higher education, its gradual introduction in the University and the way in which this subject is approached in the field of mathematics. Findings: The study concludes that higher education has a key role to play in designing strategies that lead to the global sustainability of the planet. This implies major changes in degree curricula, assessment, competences and teacher training. Cross-disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity between different subjects within the same degree is a strategy for students to analyse the Sustainable Development Goals using mathematical techniques. Social implications: The University as an institution must train socially responsible professionals who are aware of the importance of promoting a sustainable world. Changes should be made to introduce values in the classroom that promote and encourage sustainability. Training should be seen as a continuous process that leads to the preparation of professionals committed to society and nature and who develop strategies aimed at improving the planet through values. Originality/value: Through practical activities, the Sustainable Development objectives can be analysed from several subjects of the same degree, emphasising the interdisciplinary and transversal nature that should be the central axis of higher education. Each subject can develop a strategy for change in favour of sustainability that will be reinforced and increased by working together on the proposed teaching practice. In this way, the contents of the different subjects are not isolated, but rather the student can see how there is an interrelationship between them and with real life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of economics involves core issues of sustainable development very relevant to society, such as growth, consumption or wellbeing. Accordingly, its epistemology and teaching contents influence other disciplines, the conception of society and the political agenda. From this perspective, it is strategic that the teaching of economics promotes sustainable development. The aim of this article is to examine what the subjects of economics and business economics teach about sustainability at the upper secondary education level in Spain, and if they contribute to the acquisition of the key competencies of the education for sustainable development. A content analysis is carried out of both the curriculum and the textbooks to that end. Our results emphasise that the ideas, concepts and values transmitted by the Spanish upper secondary economics textbooks do not adequately promote knowledge about sustainability or the learning of the key competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that public debt is a priority for policymakers in Mexico, the aim of this paper is to examine the convergence or divergence in debt per capita and main drivers of debt in the 32 Mexican states in the period 2006–2021. The results support significant spatial correlation of debt/cap across states. Cross‐section and spatial dynamic regressions are used to analyse absolute and conditional beta‐convergence in debt per capita, and the divergence assumption is documented. The panel data models based on the method‐of‐moments quantile models and pooled mean group estimators indicate that poverty is the main determinant of debt, whereas foreign direct investment is insufficient to support the reduction in debt in the long run. These results provide evidence for a set of policy recommendations to ensure a sustainable debt path in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to find out what attitudes Economics and Business students have towards sustainability and what they expect from their education in relation to the achievement of economic, social and environmental sustainability. The objective is to find out if the studies of Economics and Business favour the development of pro-sustainability attitudes, taking into account factors such as the gender of the students, the course in which they are enrolled and the economic training received before entering university. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was designed covering ecological, social, cultural, economic and political aspects. The survey was conducted among students of the Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Management and the Bachelor's Degree in Economics. The authors used discriminant analysis and analysis of variance to test the research hypothesis. Findings: Students are concerned about environmental problems and are aware of the need for action, but there is little consensus on the actions needed to overcome them. Some negationist traits are detected: those who rely more on technology give less importance to environmental problems and to the possibility of a major ecological catastrophe. Girls are more in favour of sustainability than boys, and students who have previously studied economics consider that their training has enabled them to evaluate the resources available and necessary to perform any job more than those who have not studied economics, regardless of their sex and year. Originality/value: Many articles have focused on the importance of sustainability in higher education, but hardly any have analysed the role of economic education in achieving sustainability. Given the importance and the proven inter-relationship between economics and sustainability, with this article, the authors contribute to fill the gap in the literature. It is necessary that current students and future professionals receive adequate economic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Spain, the youth unemployment rate is one of the highest in the European Union. With the pandemic caused by Covid-19, young people face high unemployment rates and are more vulnerable to a decrease in labour demand. This paper analyses and predicts youth unemployment using Google Trends indices in Spain for the period between the first quarter of 2004 and the second quarter of 2021, being the first work to carry out this study for Spain and the first to use the regional approach for the country. Vector autoregressive Bayesian models and vector error correction models have been used for national data, and Bayesian panel data models and fixed effects model for regional data. The results confirm that forecasts based on Google Trends data are more accurate in predicting the youth unemployment rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparency is fundamental for the development of good governance, and even more so in times of crisis. The current crisis caused by the coronavirus has raised questions worldwide as to whether the government is acting transparently. In the case of Spain, the state of alarm decreed has suspended the terms and interrupted the deadlines for processing the procedures of public sector entities, including those affecting the Law on Transparency. This paper analyses how this suspension is affecting the actions carried out in Spain. It shows those practices that we consider to violate citizens' right to public information, and which are therefore not transparent. In Spain, there has been a setback in terms of access to public information and transparency, which has not only been visible in the management of COVID-19 data, but has also affected other areas such as public procurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical modeling has served as an epidemiological tool to enhance the modeling efforts of the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. This article reviews epidemiological network models, which are conceived as a flexible way of representing objects and their relationships. Many studies have used these models over the years, and they have also been used to explain COVID-19. Based on the information provided by the Web of Science database, exploratory, descriptive research based on the techniques and tools of bibliometric analysis of scientific production on epidemiological network models was carried out. The epidemiological models used in the papers are diverse, highlighting those using the SIS (Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible), SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) and SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Removed) models. No model can perfectly predict the future, but they provide a sufficiently accurate approximation for policy makers to determine the actions needed to curb the pandemic. This review will allow any researcher or specialist in epidemiological modeling to know the evolution and development of related work on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of inclusive education is to address students' special educational needs so that they are able to fully participate in the education community. The universities have been increasingly attempting to cater for the diversity of students by undertaking innovative projects through the adaptation of new technologies, which is key to their development. However, the evolution of inclusive education is uneven and largely depends on each university, as the resources, methods, and practices vary across institutions. The purpose of this paper is to propose an indicator to evaluate the state of inclusive education at each university. This indicator could ascertain the extent of curriculum adaptation and the degree of accessibility at universities, as well as the resources and projects they are developing to achieve inclusion. It will allow for a ranking of institutions according to the progress made in the field of inclusive education and, more specifically, for the comparison across universities regarding the quality of the specific measures taken to help students with special educational needs. This inclusive education indicator is a dynamic tool that may be updated immediately and provides the university community with the means to guide students with specific needs and their families in pre-university and university stages, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the unemployment issue and accelerated the digital transformation. Real-time data specific to ongoing revolution in applied economic analysis are increasingly demanded to anticipate changes in unemployment to improve decision-making. The aim of this paper is to test whether unemployment rate forecasts based on Google Trends data improve the predictions based only on macroeconomic indicators published with a longer time lag. The research has been carried out at the national level for Spain and Portugal, and the main novelty is the analysis of unemployment rate forecasts at the regional level for Spain using dynamic panel data models to implement the best policies to reduce unemployment. The keywords unemployment and job offers have been used in each language. The results obtained demonstrate the capacity of Google Trends data associated with unemployment to improve the predictions of unemployment rates in Spanish regions. Moreover, predictions based on Google Trends data at national level in Spain and Portugal are significantly more accurate than those based on autoregressive models for both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented crisis, severely affecting the economy and many sectors, including the airline industry. This paper reviews this situation to see how airlines have acted since the beginning of COVID-19. The airline industry is dependent on financial support and subsidies to cope with the massive drop in air travel due to the coronavirus. The support received by the major airlines has been examined. In addition, a comparison has been made of all the aviation restrictions that have been implemented by different European governments. Travellers from countries with a higher incidence of cases, or with a growing rate of cases, have the most restrictions on travel to other countries. Furthermore, the strategies and protocols being implemented by certain airlines following the lifting of some of the restrictions on passenger air traffic are analysed. This paper will provide an insight into how airlines are coping with this unfavourable environment, as well as some of the future prospects and strategies of the aviation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper attempts to explain the infodemics that the coronavirus crisis has generated through the dissemination of fake news, which can lead people and institutions to make decisions that end up being counterproductive to their own interests or to the needs of society. Design/methodology/approach: The existing literature in the field of information has been reviewed, as well as the fake news that has been spread during the COVID-19 crisis. Based on this review, a series of guidelines have been drawn up to enable citizens to detect the false information that is being disseminated. Findings: This paper has established a series of recommendations to be followed by any communicator, journalist or person who creates content and information to promote effective communication during this crisis. It concludes that the role of the media is key in trying to reduce the spread of fake news. Originality/value: This paper reflects the need to combat fake news originating during the pandemic through effective communication following a series of guidelines. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-08-2020-0352 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has had a great impact on the lives of all students. A survey conducted among Spanish university students aims to find out what their concerns are before the start of the 2020–2021 academic year. This study tries to explain the impact of the coronavirus on students after returning to the classroom, and not only during confinement. Among the main concerns of the students are the way examinations are conducted, the development of learning or the teaching method used as a consequence of the situation caused by the coronavirus. The results shown can be of great use to the educational community in establishing policies aimed at improving the level of teaching and the well-being of students in the face of this educational change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze whether health variables such as the total number of physicians, available beds, and public spending on health care influence the number of deaths. The influence of other variables such as the Human Development Index and public health measures is also analyzed. Statistical study. Evaluation of variables associated with COVID-19 mortality in the EU. A multiple regression analysis is performed for the countries of the European Union. Health expenditure, public health measures and the number of physicians influence the total number of deaths. The more physicians, the lower the number of deaths. However, the number of beds or the Human Development Index are not determinants of the number of deaths. A greater number of medical professionals will improve health care and reduce the number of deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to determine whether variables such as health expenditure, the total number of physicians, available beds or restrictive public health policies are determinants of the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the European Union (EU) countries. This is a statistical study, evaluating variables associated with COVID-19 mortality in the EU. The association of these variables is analysed by means of multiple regression. Three groups of countries are distinguished according to the percentage of population over 65 years of age (terciles), to determine whether the variables affect the mortality rate according to the concentration of the adult population. In the first tercile, a higher number of physicians will contribute to lower mortality rates. In countries in the second tercile, the number of physicians is not relevant, but healthcare expenditure or the number of beds is. In the older age group, neither variable is significant. The recruitment of more physicians may contribute to a reduction in deaths in countries with a lower proportion of adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital economy is a great route to promote the efficient utilization of natural resources and promote sustainability due to its high-tech, rapid growth, extensive penetration, deep integration and other characteristics. Existing study on the influencing factors of the digital economy is not deep enough and lacks the analysis on the relationship structure of factors influencing the digital economy, which is not conducive for an overall grasp of the digital economy. To correctly understand how to better develop the digital economy, this paper studies its influencing factors and the relationships between them. Based on the time-series data of China from 2002 to 2018, grey correlation analysis was applied to calculate the correlation between these influencing factors and the digital economy, and determine the major influencing factors of digital economy development in China. The Granger causality test and a review of existing research were used to judge the interrelationship of various factors. The interpretative structure model was utilized to determine the relationship structure of the main factors affecting the development of China's digital economy. The results show that the number of digital talents, state of the technology market, and degree of digitalization are direct influencing factors of the digital economy. The results help to better understand the development of the digital economy and will enable the implementation of policies to improve towards more sustainable cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The war between Russia and Ukraine started when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022; and it has been a major catastrophe in every sense of the word. In this article, we focus on the future reconstruction of the country in the short and long term, and the importance of creating a reconstruction plan based on sustainability and energy efficiency to turn Ukraine and each of its local governments into smart cities. Environmental protection policies should be enacted to facilitate the green transformation of the economy. The green transition will enable greater economic efficiency and competitiveness of Ukraine in European and global markets. Transparency in management and efficiency of its use is also another challenge to be achieved during reconstruction in order to achieve environmentally sustainable and smart cities and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. • We focus on the future reconstruction of Ukraine in the short and long term. • Green transition will enable greater economic efficiency and competitiveness of Ukraine. • Transparency during reconstruction is important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 crisis has meant the suppression of face-to-face educational activity in most countries. Faced with this situation, social workers must guarantee the educational community their support, through telematic media, to ensure the social protection of all students, especially the most vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability is directly connected with less natural resources consumption and consequently, with less pollution. However, carbon dioxide emissions could be controlled through policies that are designed starting from empirical results. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of electricity prices for non-household consumers, innovation and economic development on pollution in energy supply and waster sectors in V4 countries (2010–2021). The analysis is based on fixed-effect panel threshold and dynamic GMM models and revealed a U pattern for energy supply sector and an inverted U for waste sector. Higher electricity prices for non-households and more renewables consumption in waste sector are necessary, while more patents in environment-related technologies have expected impact on pollution only at higher levels of GDP. These empirical findings are subject to policy proposals. • U pattern for energy supply sector and an inverted U for waste sector. • Higher electricity prices for non-households and more renewables consumption in waste sector are necessary. • More patents in environment-related technologies have expected impact on pollution only at higher levels of GDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper reviews the interconnectedness between electricity prices, economic growth, natural gas consumption, biomass energy and technological innovation in Tunisia over the 1980–2018 period. We used ARDL, variance decomposition and impulse response functions as the main empirical methodologies. The results indicate the presence of a strong association between the variables to help us suggest that the integration of economic and environmental policies should prioritize fossil fuel alternatives to ensure the gradual transmission of "dirty energy resources" towards cleaner and more reliable energy alternatives. • Developing a new energy industry will help overcome environmental challenges in Tunisia. • Electricity prices, environmental innovation and biomass energy promote new energy industry. • Renewable energy resources can harness geothermal resources to serve as reliable energy resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fintech (financial technology) employment market presents significant barriers to entry, including rigorous selection criteria based on factors such as profitability, risk, security, and confidentiality, which limit students’ opportunities to enter the industry. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the challenges faced by the fintech employment market in China. Consequently, it is crucial to assist fintech students in enhancing their professional abilities to navigate the job market successfully. Virtual reality is gaining increasing importance in educational fields due to its immersive virtual simulation capabilities. In this study, a hybrid fintech course was designed based on the principles of outcome-based education theory and the flipped classroom model. The project objective was to provide students with virtual training and project-based assessments that facilitate a seamless transition from theoretical knowledge to practical application in the industry. To evaluate the effectiveness of hybrid education, a comparative user experiment was conducted involving 60 participants (students) from Guangdong University of Finance. The study used median data, average data, and the entropy weight method for analysis. The results indicated that hybrid education has a positive impact on individual-level critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills. We believe that our study can provide critical data references for global online/hybrid education researchers and contribute to the education field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studies the efficiency of Spanish airports for the year 2018. In the first stage, efficiency is calculated by applying the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. As inputs, variables have been selected representing the airports' physical aspects, such as the number of boarding gates or the runway area. As outputs, the number of passengers, tons of cargo and the number of operations are included. By means of bootstrapping, it is empirically demonstrated that the airports operated under variable returns to scale. In the second stage, a truncated regression is carried out to determine which variables influence the efficiency of the airports. Previously a bootstrapping with 2000 iterations is applied to correct the possible bias of the DEA results. Airport apron and opening hours are relevant factors to explain the efficiency of airports as well as being a tourist airport. • Of the 37 Spanish airports analysed, 14 are efficient. • It is empirically demonstrated, by means of bootstrapping, that the airports operated under variable returns to scale. • Opening hours, runway length and tourist airport positively influence the physical efficiency of airports. • Apron size negatively influences airport efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To vigorously promote the integrated development and mutual adaptation of agriculture and logistics is an important way to realize agricultural modernization and rural revitalization. Along with the policy support of agricultural industry chain and the steady rise of the demand for agricultural products market, the total amount of agricultural product logistics continues to increase, and the growth rate remains stable. With the booming development of "Internet + agriculture" and e-commerce platform, agricultural logistic market welcomes a new round of development opportunities, reaching several trillion yuan. Compared with the developed countries, our agricultural product logistics is still far behind. At present, only 15% of vegetables and fruits and 30% of fresh meat have professional logistic transportation, while most of the rest are still in the state of local and primitive. The gap of logistic environment construction and logistic elements determines the difference in final benefit of agricultural products. The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of logistic elements on regional agricultural economic growth, and whether the influence between neighboring regions presents "the same prosperity", "the same loss" or "sharing weal and woe". Methods: Based on the panel data of the statistical yearbook of 31 provinces in China from 2005 to 2020, the spatial Durbin model was constructed under the spatial weight matrix of economic distance and economic geographical distance to conduct empirical analysis, and the internal factors of logistics industry, factor spillover effect and its impact on agricultural economic growth were studied. Results: Results showed that: (1) considering economic distance factor, the spatial coefficient of the time-fixed effects model passed the significance test in eastern China. Considering economic geographic distance factors, the individual and double fixed effect models passed the significance test in central China, and all models passed the significance test in western China. (2) From the perspective of logistic infrastructure, AVLFA, HM, TN and RM had a positive effect on the growth of agricultural economy in eastern China, but LIAV is on the contrary. AVLFA had a positive effect on agricultural economic growth, but TN was on the contrary in central China. In western China, LIAV and TN promoted agricultural economy while HM and RM held back it. From the perspective of the volume of logistics activity, both eastern and central regions did not pass the significance test, but FA was tested by the double fixed effect model and showed negative in western China. From the perspective of control variables, FU, AO and PT all promoted agricultural economy in eastern China, and FU and AO did the same in central and western China. PT was invalid in central regions and hindered agricultural economy in western China, which was different. Conclusion: From the perspective of spatial spillover effect decomposition, the eastern region presents "one prosperity and all prosperity, and sharing weal and woe", while the central and western regions present "one prosperity and all prosperity, and one lost and all lost". At last suggestions as formulating the overall plan for the development of regional logistics, paying attention to regional differences and promoting coordinated development of logistics and agriculture in light of local conditions, and paying attention to the spatial spillover effect of elements were put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renewable energy consumption plays a significant role in achieving sustainable development, but a sectoral approach is necessary to design the better recommendations for each sector. In this context, the main objective of this paper is to assess the impact of the use of this type of energy on economic growth in 23 European Union (EU) member states in the period 1990–2020. Besides overall renewable energy consumption, different utilisations of this energy are considered: in industry, transport, in commercial and public services, and for residential purposes. The methodological background is built around panel data models that start from a Cobb–Douglas function. The renewable energy consumption is considered an important factor that should generate economic growth. The panel data approach based on causality analysis and Augmented Mean Group and Common Correlated Effects Mean Group estimators suggests that renewable energy use in industry does not determine economic growth, but economic development is a cause for more utilisation of this energy in industry. In addition, more renewable energy consumption in transport enhances economic growth. A high level of economic development can promote the consumption of renewable energies in industrial sectors. In this way, industrial companies can allocate more financial funds to research in the field of renewable energies and can afford to adopt renewable energy sources. Investment in biofuels can contribute to achieving sustainable transport in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the connectedness among the climate change index, green financial assets, renewable energy markets, and geopolitical risk index from June 1, 2012 to June 13, 2022, using Quantile Vector Autoregressive (QVAR) and wavelet coherence (WC). The Total connectedness index (TCI) varies as long as the highest TCI originates in the upper quantile. We also note that the higher TCI decreases after the second wave of COVID-19 and increases during the first 100 days of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moreover, the results show that Geopolitical risk (GPR) is a net transmitter of the climate change index during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The green bond and clean energy markets are negatively connected to the GPR at extreme 10 th and 90 th quantiles. The wavelet coherence confirms the QVAR results that the climate change market can be a safe haven against GPR during the Russian invasion. The climate change index, green financial assets, and clean energy are strong influencers in the financial markets and are vital to international peace, reducing geopolitical risk. The study reports a few novel conclusions and implications from a sustainable development perspective. • Connectedness among climate change index, green financial assets, renewable energy markets. • Daily data was used from June 1, 2012 to June 13, 2022. • Role of geopolitical risk for green financial assets and renewable energy market. • Climate change index, green financial assets, and clean energy are strong influencers in the financial markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has reviewed international research, up to the first half of 2021, focused on sustainability, big data and the mathematical techniques used for its analysis. In addition, a study of the spatial component (city, region, nation and beyond) of the works has been carried out and an analysis has been made of which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have received the most attention. A bibliometric analysis and a fractal cluster analysis were performed on the papers published in the Web of Science. The results show a continuous increase in the number of published articles and citations over the whole period, demonstrating a growing interest in this topic. China, the United States and India are the most productive countries and there are more papers at the regional level. It has been found that the environmental dimension is the most studied and the least studied is the social dimension. The mathematical techniques used in the empirical work are mainly regression analysis, neural networks and multi-criteria decision methods. SDG9 and SDG11 are the most worked on. The trend shows a convergence in recent years towards big data applied to supply chains, Industry 4.0 and the achievement of sustainable cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local governments play a crucial role in the fight for a more sustainable world and, therefore, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they are the closest public entities to citizens and best know their needs. Local governments should be the driving force behind integrating the different areas of sustainability in their municipalities, especially in social services, which is the focus of this paper. However, these governments have limited resources, making it necessary to provide public services as efficiently as possible. To present a complete picture of the factors that affect efficiency in social service provision, we have taken into account the SDGs related to the social sphere of sustainability (SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 5, and SDG 10), in addition to the determinants usually collected in studies on efficiency in local governments. For a sample of Spanish municipalities, we found that local governments that have made more progress in achieving SDG 2 are more efficient. In contrast, municipalities that have worked the most to reduce gender inequalities (SDG 5) are less efficient in providing social services. The other SDGs do not influence the efficiency analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the causal relationship between technological innovation and energy efficiency in Central and Eastern European countries. The results indicate that technological innovation significantly impacts energy efficiency in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Slovenia through various economic and political factors. Conversely, energy efficiency also significantly affects technological innovation in Estonia, Hungary, and Slovakia. These findings suggest that energy efficiency is a function of the rate of innovation adoption. It is recommended that these countries prioritize implementing reforms that bolster economic freedom and institutional quality to foster innovation. • Examine energy efficiency and technology innovation. • Technology innovation positively impacts energy efficiency in several countries. • Energy efficiency impacts technology innovation in several countries. • Implement reforms to foster innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the causal relationship between renewable energy and energy security. The findings suggest that energy security has an explanatory role in renewable energy across several subsamples and is driven by various economic and political events, strained relationships between countries, social unrest, and sanctions. Similarly, the results confirm that renewable energy has influenced energy security through the negative impacts of climate change, the security of oil supplies, and the implementation of policies and incentives to promote renewable energy. Therefore, the outcomes of this study recommend developing a comprehensive national plan to increase renewable energy use and enhance energy security. • Energy security has an explanatory role in renewable energy. • Renewable energy has influenced energy security through the negative impacts of climate change. • The results demonstrate the benefits of increasing REN mixes. • The policy of fuel import agreements is crucial for ENS assurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litter is a global issue that pollutes water, air, and land, and has esthetic and environmental repercussions. Therefore, this study utilized the value -belief -norm (VBN) theory to analyze residents' preventing littering behavior in Ghana. This study employed a random sampling approach and used an online survey to gather quantitative data from 511 participants. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. The results show that the "biospheric value," "altruistic value," and "egoistic value" had substantial beneficial effects on the new environmental paradigm. The findings revealed that the new environmental paradigm increased awareness of consequences, which strongly enabled the ascription of responsibility to address environmental concerns. Personal norms influenced residents' preventing littering behavior. The study also discovered that the ascription of responsibility and new environmental paradigms promote residents' preventing littering behavior indirectly through personal norms and awareness of consequences. The study found that awareness of consequences moderates the association between personal norms and residents' preventing littering behavior. These findings provide new insights for litter prevention policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the home confinement caused by COVID-19, universities closed and all teaching became virtual, testing the sustainability of the education system. A total of 3080 Spanish university students participated in a survey to analyse how they have adapted to this situation, whether there has been a digital divide and how they have followed training activities. The results reveal that households have had to invest in ICT equipment and universities have offered support to vulnerable students. Students were not prepared for this change, found it difficult to follow the course online, spent more hours per day studying and achieved lower academic performance. Higher education institutions must ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education that reduces the digital divide, promoting sustainable activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the link between financial development and the shadow economy in 45 African economies from 1991 to 2019. While overall financial indices show no clear impact on the shadow economy across the entire sample, a nuanced pattern emerges when considering income groups. In low-income countries, financial institutions' index significantly amplify the shadow economy, whereas in lower middle-income nations, broader financial market measures independently contribute to its expansion. This reveals a heterogeneous relationship between financial development and the shadow economy in Africa, emphasizing the income-specific dynamics influencing these interactions. • There is a heterogeneous relationship between financial development and shadow economy. • The income-specific dynamics influencing these interactions. • Financial development indices exert no discernible impacts on the shadow economy. • In low-income countries, financial institutions' index amplify the shadow economy. • In lower middle-income nations, financial market measures contribute to its expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines renewable and technological prices' asymmetric multifractality and efficiency in international and Chinese marketplaces. The asymmetric multifractal detrended fluctuation analytics (A-MFDFA), multifractal detrended fluctuation analytics (MFDFA), and fractal dimension techniques are employed for multifractality and herding behavior. In addition, market deficiency measures (MDM) and hurst exponents are used to construct the inefficiency index (MLM- Magnitude of long-memory) during and before Covid-19. The empirical outcomes supported the existence of asymmetric multifractality across all renewable and technological marketplaces. This multifractality has been observed in up-and-down trends. Moreover, during the COVID-19 outbreak, inefficiency in CELS and SPGlobal's green energy prices increased, which is more apparent in the descending trends. Fractal dimension outcomes suggest a herding behavior in these markets during pandemic. The SPTSX green energy pricing statistics demonstrate that its upward multifractality is larger than the downward in both phases, signifying the strong efficiency position in the market. The SPIC-SH green energy pricing displayed considerable asymmetric multifractality, higher levels of efficiency, and even low levels of market uncertainty during COVID-19. The findings imply that all financial market players should prioritize various green energy investments depending on its asymmetric efficiency and predictability. It will help in their decision-making and reduces herding behavior in the market. • Asymmetric multifractal behavior is tested in global renewable and technological prices. • A-MFDFA and MFDFA and fractal dimension are used to analyze efficiency, scaling and herding behavior during and before COVID. • CELS and SPGlobal's green energy prices showed herding behavior before and inefficacy during COVID. • Green Technology and Chinese green energy prices were stable during COVID. • All green and technological prices were more stable before COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geopolitical risks and environmental policy have become increasingly important in the European Union (EU), which is committed to tackling climate change and protecting the environment. However, geopolitical risks can undermine its environmental policy objectives. Thus, the study evaluates the relationship between geopolitical risks and environmental policy in nineteen EU countries from 1994 to 2020 through panel bootstrap Granger causality. The results show that geopolitical risks significantly influence environmental policy in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Romania. On the other hand, the findings reveal that environmental policy causes geopolitical risks only in Latvia, while there is no relationship in the remaining countries. Therefore, policymakers must develop resilience to geopolitical risks, promote renewable energy, strengthen environmental regulations, and address social and economic implications to reduce environmental policy vulnerability to geopolitical risks. • Geopolitical risks affect ecological policies in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Romania. • Environmental policy causes geopolitical risks only in Latvia. • Policymakers, promote renewables, enhance regulations to cut vulnerability to geopolitical risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The sustainable development goal of combating climate change highlights the importance of the transportation sector. This study analyzes the impact of eco-innovations in transportation along with traffic-TRF (road, rail, air), infrastructure development, green finances, trade globalization on demand, transport emissions, and greenhouse gas emissions from 1994 to 2020 in EU25 economies. Furthermore, the policy impact of innovation and taxes and renewables are estimated using their interactions. We employed second-generation approaches, PMG-ARDL, Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) and Granger causality. The results reveal that green transport neutralizes pollutant emissions, and traffic increases emissions by 17.5%, while green taxes limit them to 15.3% and 39.3% in the long and short run. Green taxes are a short-run tool; however, long-run sustainable targets depend on green transport, renewables, and R&D. European economies must revisit their transport and environmental policies, as current progress may not lead toward sustainable transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality green finance development and environmental efficiency are made possible through economic growth. This study examines the factors affecting investments in green finance and regional environmental efficiency in China from 2008 to 2020, using the GMM model. Results show that green financing positively impacts energy usage restructuring at the national level. However, the impact is limited, despite positive coefficients between financial growth, energy prices, and energy usage patterns. In the central area, green financial development benefits energy usage structure, while in the eastern region, economic and industrial development have little effect. The study provides strategic recommendations for China's green funding to support the adaptation of energy use structures. • High-quality green finance develops environmental efficiency. • Green financing positively impacts energy restructuring. • Study provides strategic recommendations for China's green funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tragedy of the depletion of natural resources led by their overconsumption has posed severe deleterious effects on humanity and the environment. Post-consumption-led waste has worsened the situation, given that unregulated and unscientific waste treatment furthers the criticality of ecological dilapidation. To curb ecological overshoot and restore the full capacity of ecosystem services, we need to focus more on recycling the available resources at their maximum capacity. In other words, we must take a U-turn from the linear economic system to the circular one. The issue is that the number of real-world data-driven scientific studies is very scant in this sphere of literature. Against this milieu, this paper scrutinizes the effect of a circular economy on CO2 emissions intensity among a panel of the top seven CO2 emitters of the world. We have used data from 1990 to 2020 and applied the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) technique to reach our empirical conclusions. By controlling for globalization and renewable energy consumption, we unveil that municipal waste, a crucial component of the circular economy, is positively entangled with CO2 emissions among the designated nations. This observation further reiterates the theoretical underpinning and urges to harness municipal waste as a valuable raw material for a circular economy. Moreover, we disclose that economic growth and globalization boost CO2 emissions intensity among the designated nations. Contrarily, the consumption of renewables helps uplift environmental integrity. Our conclusions also hold after the robustness check. Further, the D-H causality test establishes a bidirectional causality between municipal waste and CO2 emissions. One-lane causality is also observed from a linear economy to a circular economy. More specifically, municipal waste is observed as a critical determinant of pollution and carbon emissions. In light of the findings, the authors provide novel policy recommendations apropos sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) is considered a veritable pathway to the developmental prospects of emerging economies. To some, FDI bridles environmental pollution, while to others, it enhances environmental performance. For updated insights, we critiqued the effect of FDI on environmental quality amidst environmental-related technological innovations (EVT) within the BRICS economies. On the basis of the random coefficients regression and the panel nonlinear-ARDL (PNARDL) technique notable for robust estimates even in the face of cross-sectional exigencies, it is rectified that the enlisted series trend towards long-run equilibrium. The estimates also indicate that carbon emissions in BRICS countries are systemic, and must be fought head-on to attain sustainable development. Furthermore, FDI and EVT, to an extent and with some variations across the countries, compromised environmental quality significantly, but with the passage of time, the interactions of both factors ensure cleaner environments. Additionally, human capital development and renewable energy consumption mitigate pollution in the BRICS countries against the negative impact of traditional energy consumptions. The outcome of the nonlinear specification also establishes that both positive and negative interactions of FDI and technology stimulate cleaner environments, but the effects are asymmetric in both the long and short run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting green and low-carbon development has become the consensus of the policymakers and the academic, with green transformation of enterprises being the top priority. This paper adopts the difference-in-difference model to investigate the effect of green credit policy on green transition in China, by utilizing the "Green Credit Guidelines" (2012 Guidelines) policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Using panel data from publicly listed companies in China, an empirical investigation is conducted, we explain the dependent variable from two dimensions: economic performance and environmental performance, leading to the following results. First, the green credit policy affects the economic performance and environmental performance of treated firms positively, and the robust tests confirm the reliability of this primary conclusion. Second, the indirect impact of green credit policy on green transition can be explained through two mediating mechanism channels including internal capacity building and external market attention. In addition, the proposal of "Dual Carbon Targets" makes the impact a slight change. Finally, heterogeneous test also shows that the implementation effect of green credit policy is better in non-state-owned enterprises with high political relevance. These findings are providing valuable insights to promote green transition by designing more effective green credit policies. • We identify the effect of green credit policy on green transition. • We employ multiple econometric models to ensure the robustness. • We provide the empirical evidence for heterogeneity. • We investigate the intermediary channels from two ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 2010-2018: Ecological-economic coordination was highest in Hebei and lowest in Tianjin. • The ecological-economic coordination degree of various regions has obvious spatial spillover effects. • Improved functional and development tactics and policy reforms can strengthen ecological-economic development relations. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is an integral part of the ecology and economy of northern China. Unique geographical factors closely interlink the regions; however, limited attention has been paid to urban clusters' ecological and economic spatial linkages. Therefore, this paper introduces Ecosystem service value and Ecological-economic coordination degree, considering extensive spatial spillover effects within the region under study. This paper adopts spatial autocorrelation and the spatial Durbin model to detect the coordination relationship. Moreover, examine the influence of population growth, sales of consumer goods, health facilities, green areas, and Tertiary Industry on Ecological-economic coordination. The relationship is tested economic growth, using the internal and external Thus, it determines that the change of coordination degree shows a "V"-shaped development in time and space and gradually realizes the overall coordinated development. It affirmed the judgment that the Ecological-economic coordination degree of each region has an obvious spatial spillover effect. Policy reforms, improved functions, and development mechanisms can enable the balanced and healthy development of the region's ecological and economic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing population and rising need for transportation amplify emissions, elevating the corresponding welfare costs. This research examines the effect of transportation sector Innovation in mitigating emissions and decreasing welfare costs. The study selected the 15 most polluted European economies from 1994 to 2020 and employed second-generation econometric approaches. The study used the Westerlund panel co-integration technique and pooled mean group estimate strategy to examine the long and short-term relationships. Additionally, a fixed and random-effects model is employed to assess the consistency of the results. The research utilized the Granger causality methodology to investigate the outcomes specific to each country. The findings indicate that the implementation of new technologies for transport has a restraining effect on demand, transportation, and overall emissions in both the long and short term. Moreover, the interaction of renewable technologies with green energy profoundly impacts the European economies. The results show that environmental degradation increases temperature and rainfall uplift welfare costs. The country-specific results demonstrate a significant causal association among variables in the major economies, endorsing the effect of innovation in mitigation efforts and climate change on surging the welfare cost. The results suggest that green transport using renewable energies is the way to achieve carbon neutrality, decrease welfare costs, and 2050 sustainable transport targets. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution, war and energy crisis are the CEE countries' most important global actual issues. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of political stability and electricity price in 11 CEE countries in the period 2007–2021 to anticipate the effect of these factors on pollution in times of political and energy crisis. The common results based on DOLS/FMOLS and CCEMG estimations indicate that political stability enhances CO2 emissions, while higher electricity prices for non-household consumers reduce pollution. An inverted-U pattern was observed in the relationship between growth and pollution, while renewable energy consumption is the most powerful tool to reduce CO2 emissions. These results are the starting point for policy recommendations. [Display omitted] • Political stability enhances CO2 emissions. • Higher electricity prices for non-household consumers reduce pollution. • Renewable energy consumption reduces pollution. • An inverted-U pattern in the growth-pollution nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The sustainable development initiative aims to combat climate change in which green innovations, renewables, and taxes play a significant role. This study argues that sectoral carbon footprints vary, and so does the impact of technical innovation (Transportation (MTT), production and processing (MTPP), and Energy generation (MTEG)) in mitigation efforts. Therefore, the study examines their influence along with taxes in OECD economies from 1990 to 2020. The preliminary assessment uses second-generation techniques, while the long-run relationship among variables is examined using Error-correction-based models because of cross-sectional interdependencies. The findings affirm the existence of long-term linkages between variables. Transport-related innovation (MTT) reduces demand-based (DBE) and GHG emissions by elasticities of 0.115 and 0.126, respectively. Similarly, MTEG and MTPP technologies reduce production-based emission (PBE) by 0.174% and 0.137%, respectively, and GHG by 0.301% and 0.140%. Energy consumption is the major polluter across all sectors, whereas carbon tax limits emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fullerenes have been extensively investigated in biomedical and material science, owing to their distinct physic-chemical properties. At this juncture, we validated the improved electro-mechanical actuation of Fullerene-reinforced sulfonated polyetherimide (SPEI) as a novel electromechanical actuator. In the specific, tiny amount of Fullerene (0.5 wt%) reinforced in the SPEI matrix, the bending distortion of the Fullerene-SPEI actuators is tripled. As-prepared actuators showed excellent proton conductivity, substantial mechanical strength, high dielectric constant and blocking force, and exhibited large bending motion under harmonic and step responses. Moreover, the biocompatibility of Fullerenes and SPEI makes these actuators as auspicious candidates in biomedical devices, robotics, and smart textiles. [Display omitted] • The electromechanical performance of Fullerene-reinforced SPEI IPMCs electro-mechanical actuators. • The actuation performance in terms of the harmonic and step responses of the Fullerene-reinforced SPEI IPMCs is much better than the SPEI actuator. • The actuation performance these IPMCs is drastically enhanced by blending lesser quantity of Fullerene (0.5 wt %) in the SPEI matrix. • The excellent proton conductivity nature of Fullerenes enables the Fullerene-SPEI actuators to achieve considerable bending action under an electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]