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The main objective of the research is to assess the ability of the Ukrainian economy and its individual industries to ensure, in the conditions of economic growth, a stable reduction of natural gas consumption and, consequently, to reduce dependence on its imports. Six types of relationships were identified between the change in sectoral added value and the change in the consumption of certain energy resources, in particular natural gas. The conditions are established under which the growth of sectoral added value is accompanied by a decrease in the consumption of certain energy resources. The index of sectoral efficiency of the use of certain energy resources was proposed and a model of the decomposition of the growth rate of this indicator was constructed. Quantitative indicators of measuring economic barriers on the way to introduction of energy-saving technologies are presented. Conditions under which economic growth is accompanied by a decrease in the level of dependence of the economy on imports of energy resources are modeled. The dynamics of natural gas consumption by sectors of the Ukrainian economy is analyzed. It is proved that reduction of natural gas consumption due to increased energy efficiency occurs mainly in industries with an average value of share of the cost of purchasing this energy in the total operating expenses. An estimation is undertaken of the possibility of achieving independence of the Ukrainian economy from the import of natural gas in different scenarios of changing main parameters that determine the probability of such an achievement.

Only recently, smart cities are taking shape, thanks to the rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and other similar technologies. Given the high demands placed on advanced technologies such as autonomous driving, cloud data services, and high-precision sensors, smart cities are creating an intelligent transportation environment conducive to the introduction of autonomous vehicles (AVs). In this context, the use of AVs in transportation is also considered a form of transportation innovation. As a result, AVs are considered more favorable to people interested in new technologies because they appear to be technologically superior. Their association with the most up-to-date technology can serve as a symbol for those who wish to demonstrate their interest in new technologies through their appearance. The positive image of technological innovation projected by AVs may influence their acceptance among technology enthusiasts to a significant degree. In this context, this study investigates the effects of perceived advantage, perceived risk, and perceived safety on the intention to use autonomous vehicles. For this purpose, data were collected from vehicle users living in Turkey by survey method. Secondly, factor analyses and regression analyses were performed with the data set obtained from 611 participants. As a result of the analyses, it has been determined that the perceived advantage and perceived security increase the intention to use autonomous vehicles. In contrast, the perceived risk reduces this intention to use. According to these results, recommendations were made to the companies about the level of acceptance of this technology by the users to assess their investments in autonomous vehicles better.

This paper assesses the extent, scope and importance of financial support for Polish organic farming from 2004 to 2019. The analysis focuses particularly on how the changes in the amount and structure of organic farming payments affected farmers’ interest in specific organic crops during three financing periods: the 2004–2006 Rural Development Plan, the 2007–2013 Rural Development Programme (RDP) and the 2014–2020 Rural Development Programme. This paper aims to answer the question of whether and to what extent the organic farming support policy impacted the development trends followed by, and transformation processes affecting, this sector. It follows from this analysis that in the first decade after joining the European Union, Poland implemented a policy of making payments easily available. It was primarily focused on the quantitative growth of organic farming rather than on stimulating supply. As the payments were easily accessible and decoupled from production, subsidy-oriented farmers were additionally encouraged to seek political rent. This resulted in the instability of a large group of farms who discontinued their organic farming activity in 2014. That year, the policy was amended because of the need to improve the allocation efficiency of subsidies and to couple them with the provision not only of environmental public goods but also of private goods in the form of organic farming products. The current support policy opens up greater opportunities for leveraging the potential of organic farming while reaping environmental and socioeconomic benefits and contributing more than ever to sustainable development.

The presence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils can upset the natural balance and increase the risk of PTE incorporation into the food chain. The use of composite biochar with municipal sewage sludge compost (MSSC/C) can be an effective way of both managing waste, such as sewage sludge, and providing an effective additive-supporting phytostabilization processes. The effectiveness of D. glomerata and MSSC/C in the technique of assisted phytostabilization of industrially contaminated soils was determined under the pot experiment conditions. The PTE contents in D. glomerata and the soil were determined using the spectrophotometric method. The addition of MSSC/C to PTE-contaminated soil contributed to an 18% increase in plant biomass and increased the soil pH by 1.67 units, with the PTE concentration being higher in the roots than in the above-ground parts of D. glomerata. The MSSC/C addition had the strongest effect on the reduction in Cd, Cr, and Ni contents in the soil following the completion of the experiment. The current study confirmed the effectiveness of MSSC/C in aiding the phytostabilization processes in PTE-contaminated soils.

Ukraine has enough biomass resources for biogas production. However, this energy potential is not used sufficiently. This research is aimed at examining the current experience of commercial biogas systems in the Europe Union and its adaptation for Ukraine. Special attention was paid to economic indicators, such as specific investment costs, production costs (biogas, biomethane, and electricity), and incentives. Using statistical data for the European Union and Ukraine, the biogas potential for Ukraine (based on European experience) was determined. The economic competitiveness of biogas production was evaluated compared to alternatives, such as photovoltaic, wind power, biomass, conventional fuels, and liquid biofuels. The results showed that biogas complexes have higher specific investment costs and produce more expensive electricity. It was highlighted that agricultural residues and industrial waste are sustainable feedstocks for biogas systems. A perspective biogas plant is a plant that is an integrated part of the circular bioeconomy that is based on organic residues. Biomethane production (as a substitution for vehicle fuel) combined with capture and utilization of carbon dioxide is a more profitable pathway. Awareness and perception of the importance of biogas are key factors for the development of the biogas industry. To develop an effective strategy for the biogas industry, it is necessary to create a positive image in order to raise awareness and knowledge of biogas technologies.

Nowadays, the Ukrainian electricity industry is experiencing difficult conditions, as it is operating in a mode of depletion of its production potential. At the same time, the transition to sustainable and renewable energy is the necessary basis for the country’s welfare and for ensuring its energy security. Therefore, today we cannot do without the additional attraction of sources of funding from investors. The purpose of the survey is to study the pattern and effectiveness of investments and identify links and dependencies between key technical and economic parameters and investments in renewable energy sources. To achieve this goal, the authors divided the study into four successive stages, which made it possible to study the subject of the study comprehensively. As a result of the study, results have been obtained that complement the existing theoretical, methodological, and practical developments. Mathematical calculations (using the example of the largest wind power plants in the south-eastern region) revealed transparent relationships and dependencies between the critical technical and economic parameters of the WPP of South-Eastern Ukraine and investments in the wind energy sector. Among them: the installation of 1 MW of additional WPP generating capacity requires an average of EUR 1.51 million of investment resources, and the production of one additional kWh of electricity requires an investment EUR 0.42 euros; therefore, providing an additional thousand households with WPP electricity is possible with an investment of EUR 1.345 million.

The article analyzed the state of the global problem of ecological safety of the EU and argued the need to create a methodology for planning technologically integrated projects of the “European Green Deal” (TIP “EGD”) that accounts for the risks to the stakeholders, i.e., the state, project executors, resource suppliers, project managers, and clients. Each of these has an individual set of values that determines the project risk for them. Herein is proposed a taxonomy of three ranks of TIP “EGD” involving agricultural waste, determined by their characteristics, products, and requirements for the stakeholders. The authors point out the need to create tools for quantitative risk assessment for the stakeholders of TIP “EGD” involving agricultural waste and distinguish four groups of risk components with regard to the value of such projects. A model of value risk formation is presented that addresses the risk management of each of these stakeholder values. The need to develop tools (models, methods, and algorithms) for quantitative risk assessment of the values of each type of project is discussed. Regularities in the formation of stakeholder values, which were a foundation of the model of formation, are established.