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In light of the escalating economic influence of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), the intricate interplay of sustainability, innovation, and export performance assumes paramount significance. This study focuses on French SMEs in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA) region, exploring the relatively uncharted territory of a synergistic approach to sustainability and innovation. Through a 2022-2023 field survey of 290 SMEs, employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression models, the research investigates the potential enhancement of export performance through this synergistic approach. The study reveals a positive impact, emphasizing the significance of sustainability certifications (EUR 24,416 additional export turnover per certification), R&D investment (EUR 1.38 boost per euro invested), and environmental patents (EUR 64,439 per patent). Qualitative insights enrich the understanding of challenges and opportunities, especially in terms of environmental footprint reduction. The findings underscore the need for prioritizing sustainability and innovation by French SMEs to thrive in export markets, with implications for policymakers in designing initiatives. In conclusion, this research offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the dynamics between sustainability, innovation, and export performance, providing practical guidance for SMEs and a methodological foundation for future regional research.

In view of the complexity and non-linearity of energy consumption system and the status quo of the development of energy in Qinghai province, the relations between energy consumption and industrial structure is analyzed by using the quantitative analysis of grey relation degree by using the grey system theory. The relevancy degree among the primary industry, the secondary industry and the tertiary industry and living energy consumption are obtained, and then the trend of energy consumption in the following several years can be predicted. The results show that the secondary industry has the largest relevancy degree to the total energy consumption. In the end, according to the results of the research, several suggestions on how to saving energy are put forward. Firstly, the government should improve the high-tech industry and restrict the development of high-consumption and high-pollution industries. Secondly, the government should promote the low-carbon way of life; promote energy saving and control the energy consumption of the department of life. Thirdly, clean production should be actively promoted in the tertiary industry and the circular economy should be vigorously expanded.

Four broad types of studies on rural development and bioenergy technologies are identified. Within these four types, this discussion paper presents a number of existing studies which are most relevant in the context of developing a research focus on the role, feasibility and issues associated with bioenergy, and in particular biofuels, as engine for rural development in developing countries. The results and recommendations of the referenced studies, reflecting the global trends of the current literature, highlight the importance of bioenergy technologies in the development process of poor rural communities. The surge of biofuels and in particular of their feedstocks on the international agricultural markets has recently commended a lot of attention. However, whilst biofuels hold a huge economic potential as internationally traded commodities, the various issues and challenges facing biofuel production systems could indicate that in the context of developing economies, they are better suited for the domestic energy markets. In any case, the analysis necessary to formulate policy recommendations on how, where and when to implement which bioenergy technology calls for a differentiated – per region and/or technology – and integrated – within and alongside other rural production systems – approach. In this context, this review of existing studies exposes some unanswered questions and research gaps.

Our study shows how the United States government can achieve its goal of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2025, 2030, and 2050 by reducing energy consumption through a pure carbon tax. To achieve its emissions reduction goals, it is necessary for the U.S. to impose a long-term carbon tax that balances taxes on labour, capital, energy, and carbon. Therefore, in this study, through the two-layer CGE Cobb–Douglas model, the carbon tax rate is set while balancing the production and profit functions of government, businesses, and households. This study concludes that the carbon price will increase from USD 0.4391/kg CO2 in 2020 to USD 2.5671/kg CO2 in 2050, when the CO2 emissions reduction target is increased from 17% reduction in 2020 to 83% reduction in 2050 for the U.S.

This paper utilizes cointegration theory, error correcting model and Granger causality testing theory to make an empirical research on the relation between urbanization and GDP in China, and also implements a comparative analysis to the relation between three industries and degree of urbanization, the related coeffecient is 0.97, 0.95, 0.97, 0.97. And the result shows a long-term balance between these two factors, and the promoting effect to tertiary industry by urbanization is more obvious. Urbanization and economic growth are the long-term balanced relations. In the long-term balance, every 1% increment of urbanization can make 4.82% increment of GDP; In short-term balance, if the balance depart from the long-term balance at the i-th term, the model will take automatic reversal adjustment with -0.06 adjusting strength at the (i+1)th term, to make it move to the long-term balance. The economic growth onto urbanization is one-way causality relationship, the primary and secondary industry onto urbanization is also one-way causality relationship. However, the tertiary industry onto urbanization is both-way causality relationship.

The main emphasis in the development of the EU economy over the past decade is placed on two challenges - globalization and the ageing population. The common basis for an adequate response to these challenges is the competitiveness of the European economy. On the one hand, the energy as a polyvalent resource plays an important role in the improvement of the competitiveness of each economic system. On the other hand, the provision of the economies with energy resources, i.e. their dependence on imported energy resources, is different. The possibilities of an economic system to increase its competitiveness while reducing its dependence on imported energy resources is determined by the ability to increase the efficiency with which energy resources are used. Energy efficiency is becoming a bridge between the competitiveness of an economic system and its dependence on imported energy resources.

In recent years, in order to promote the independent development of the new energy vehicle industry, Chinese government has decided to reduce the consumption subsidies for new energy vehicles until the subsidies are completely withdrawn. The reduction of consumption subsidy has a great impact on the production and sales of new energy vehicles in the whole vehicle market. However, does the reduction of this subsidy also have an impact on other enterprises in the new energy vehicles industry chain? This paper tests this problem using data from 2016 to 2018, and finds, through empirical analysis, that during the period of subsidy decline, the profitability of component enterprises is significantly positively correlated with this subsidies, while the r&d investment of enterprises is significantly negatively correlated with this subsidies. The results show that in terms of profitability, the reduction of consumer subsidies not only has an impact on the whole vehicle industry of new energy vehicles, but also has an adverse impact on the core component companies in the industrial chain. However, in terms of r&d, the reduction of subsidies has more negatively strengthened the input and attention of R&D in component companies.

The main objective of this study is to provide a theoretical and empirical framework for analyzing the relationship between economic growth and the property rights institute in different countries. The key idea is that property rights are multifarious and can be classified according to their role in economic development. These days it is the intellectual property rights that impact the economic development through propensity to innovate. However the protection of intellectual property rights does matter for economic growth only in a well-developed political and legal environment. We find that economic performance in high developed countries is to a greater extent contingent upon quality of the protection of intellectual property rights than in less developed economies. This finding raises an important question about the credibility of the preponderant approach based on a simple unification of countries with different institutional framework under one umbrella when analyzing their effects on growth. Such an approach may provide inconsistent and misleading results and lead to false conclusions and wrong policies.

The organization and efficiency of the energy sector is a factor of crucial significance in a country’s economy. Over the coming years, Bulgaria’s major priorities in the energy sector will be connected with the preservation of a safe, stable, and reliable energy system, improving of the energy mix by giving preference to sustainable, environmentally friendly, and low-emission energy. Our main national objective is to ensure that the share of energy, produced from renewable energy sources (RES) reaches 16% of the total energy consumption and 10% of the total consumption in the transport sector by 2020. The RES concept provides an opportunity of switching to a sustainable economy. However, this transition period may last quite long, and it is associated with a number of impacts on the entire society, emerging parallel to the development of the RES industry. The present study addresses the potential, advantages, drawbacks, tasks, trends, and main aspects of the RES concept development, with the purpose of using it as a platform for projecting the future of the industry in Bulgaria.