• Energy Research
• 11. Sustainability close
• 8. Economic growth close
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The purpose of the study was to assess the efficiency and accessibility of microcredits for small Ukrainian enterprises and to justify the feasibility of strengthening government contributions in lending to ensure the sustainable development of small businesses. Indicators for evaluating the efficiency and accessibility of microcredits are systematized. Methodological approaches to assessing the efficiency of lending for the creation and development of microenterprises have been improved. A model for evaluating the efficiency of microcredits aimed at the survival of microenterprises in a deteriorating environment was developed. It has been revealed that the level of efficiency of microcredit creation for firms in some time intervals depends quadratically on the share of microcredits in the total amount of funds directed to the creation of firms. A linear relationship between the relative amount of credit received and the growth rate of firms’ assets has also been established. However, there is no significant impact of the microcredit’s amount on labor productivity. A method has been developed for evaluating the budgetary efficiency of microcredits when such a lending is carried out using funds from state or local budgets. It was found that improving these lending conditions through budget financing can significantly increase its attractiveness for microenterprises without significantly reducing the budgetary efficiency of microcredits. This article substantiates the need to strengthen state support for microcrediting of small Ukrainian enterprises in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The paper considers the evolution of household consumption in Ukraine to study the changes in consumer behaviour over time. The purpose of this study is to analyse patterns of consumer behaviour in Ukraine and their historical roots. This will facilitate a better understanding of factors driving consumer behaviour of Ukrainians, help forecast its future changes and develop mechanisms and instruments for Ukrainian companies to manage consumer behaviour. Research results reveal that Soviet consumption habits are still affecting Ukrainian patterns of consumer behaviour. Even younger population that has never experienced the Soviet system is affected by its consumptive patterns to some extent. After the USSR’s collapse, Ukraine started to adopt consumer behaviour patterns from the Western world, first of all the consumerism and its inherent consumer protection, as well as the more recent fight against excessive consumption. At the same time, another global consumption trend – creative consumerism – is being actively adopted by Ukrainians, partly because such forms of behaviour are inherited from Soviet society. Modern technologies along with the COVID-19 crisis effect the patterns of consumer behaviour in Ukraine, primarily through the increasing role of online technologies in consumer decision making, in purchasing and post-purchasing processes.

For the Ukrainian population, there are factors surrounding the choices and preferences one must consider when changing permanent residence. Smart residential areas should be built according to Ukrainian legislation and global innovations, which would reduce administrative dislocations, the load on megalopolises, and negative anthropogenic impacts, and should be based on the increase in energy efficiency and reducing waste. We analyzed the core principles of designing smart residential areas and concluded that constructing cutting-edge residential areas should involve private investments in order to avoid shadow schemes and irrational use of funds (in the Ukraine, the share of the shadow market is more than 50%). Research shows that, as humans inhabit a three-dimensional space, it is possible to predict migration and other permanent residence/behavioral responses, the analysis of which allows controlling migration flows and improves the conditions of Ukraine’s small residential areas based on decarbonization. We conclude that energy saving systems can reduce consumption in a city by 60% and improve Ukraine’s ecosystem. Research also shows that reducing “dislocation”, in terms of population density, by creating open, innovative, eco-friendly environments based on green economy principles, can provide innovative development maps and economic, social, and cultural population growth, decreasing the load on big cities/regional economies, and encourage the restoration of sales markets and production after the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed a model to assess the innovativeness of residential areas, apply alternative methods of energy generation, and analyze the impact of the energy production and consumption market in Europe (with recommendations for the Ukraine). This article estimates energy intensity indicators of the gross domestic product in the Ukraine and in Europe, offering methods to decrease energy dependence and increase energy efficiency in the Ukraine, by adopting alternative energy sources (e.g., biohydrogen out of residues, air, and solar energy), and enhancing environmental legislation.

The overcoming of the issues on energy crisis and inequality have become the priorities as far developing as developed countries are concerned. Moreover, energy inequality has increased due to the shortage of natural gas and rising energy prices in retaliation to the economic recovery affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to verify the linkage between the growth of renewable energy consumption and the country’s economic advancement. In this context, this paper determines the main driving forces of renewable energy consumption in European countries during 2000–2018. The annual data for panel regression analysis are retrieved from the OECD. Stat and World Bank Open Data. This empirical analysis employed a set of estimation procedures such as the panel unit root test (Levin, Lin & Chu; Im, Pesaran, Shin W-Stat; ADF-Fisher Chi-square; and PP-Fisher Chi-square methods), the Pearson correlation, fixed- and random-effects models, generalized method of moments (GMM), Hausman and the robustness tests. The results from the Hausman test ratified that the fixed-effects regression model is more suitable for involved panel balanced data. The results of fixed-effects regression and GMM identified the statistically significant and positive relationship between the share of renewable energy consumption of total final energy consumption, GDP per capita, and CO2 emissions per capita for the overall sample. In turn, the total labor force, the gross capital formation, and production-based CO2 intensity are inversely related to renewable energy consumption. The identified effects could provide some insights for policymakers to improve the renewable energy sector towards gaining sustainable economic development.

Climate challenges in recent decades have forced a change in attitude towards forms of environmental interaction. The International Climate Conference COP26 evidences the relevance of the climate issue at the global level in Glasgow (November 2021). A decrease in natural energy resources leads to a search for alternative energy sources. Given this, this article is devoted to studying the peculiarities of the transition to climate management of the green energy transmission chain based on the circular economy and smart technologies. This paper has used simulation modeling to develop an algorithm for applying a smart approach to climate management of the green energy transmission chain based on the work of Industry 4.0 technologies. The result of this modeling will be the importance of strengthening the ability to develop intersectoral partnerships to create climate-energy clusters based on a closed cycle of using energy resources and developing smart technologies. At the same time, it has been found that COVID-19 has changed the behaviour of energy consumers towards the transition to the use of energy from renewable sources that are carbon neutral. With this in mind, this article has assessed the climate capacity of industries to use green energy from renewable sources based on resource conservation (rational use of energy resources) and climate neutrality. The industries of Ukraine, which are the largest consumers of energy and, at the same time, significantly affected by climate change, were taken for the study: industry, transport, and agriculture. The methodology for determining the indicator of the climate capacity of sectors in the transition to green energy has been based on the correlation index (ratio) of the consumption indicator of various types of energy by industries (petroleum products; natural gas; biofuels and waste; electricity) and the indicator of gross value added of industries in pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 conditions. The results have indicated that the use of energy from renewable sources (biofuels and waste) for the production of goods and services, as well as the economical nature of the provision of raw materials (biomass and faeces) are factors that ensure climate industry neutrality and enhance its climate capability. The prospects of such effects of assessing the climate capacity of sectors will be the basis for the rationale to develop intersectoral partnerships to create climate-energy clusters based on a closed cycle of using energy resources and developing smart technologies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the energy sector. The new behavior of industrial and non-commercial consumers changes the energy consumption model. In addition, the constraints associated with the coronavirus crisis have led to environmental effects from declining economic activity. The research is based on evidence from around the world showing significant reductions in emissions and improved air quality. This situation requires rethinking the energy development strategy, particularly the construction of smart grids as a leading direction of energy development. Evaluating the efficiency of smart grids is a vital tool for disseminating successful experience in improving their management. This paper proposes an approach to a comprehensive assessment of smart grids based on a comparative analysis of existing methods, taking into account the changes that need to be considered after the experience gained from the COVID-19 pandemic. The approach provides an accurate set of efficiency indicators for assessing smart grids to account for the direct and indirect effects of smart grids’ implementation. This evaluation approach can be helpful to policymakers in developing energy efficiency programs and implementing energy policy.

The development of digital technologies is one of the factors influencing the cities’ readiness for the COVID-19 breakout. The purpose of this article is to assess cities’ resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic depending on the “smart” level criteria. The article uses the following research methods: (1) bibliometric analysis to identify the main directions of scientific research regarding “COVID-19” and “smart city” in Scopus publications for 2019–2022; (2) k-means clustering method to identify common patterns among smart cities regarding their readiness and responsiveness to COVID-19; (3) correlation analysis to identify the relationships between smart city performance indicators and COVID-19 severity in these cities. The Smart City Index 2021 was a key criterion for classifying a city as smart for this study. The correlation analysis included two stages: (1) correlation analysis of the Smart City Rank and indicators of COVID-19 readiness and responsiveness; (2) correlation analysis of the Smart City Rank and its health care components and COVID-19 severity indicators. According to the study results, smart cities demonstrated higher COVID-19 readiness and lower COVID-19 fatality rates. However, they lag behind in terms of resilience and sustainability of their health care systems.