The significant climate change the planet has faced in recent decades has prompted global leaders, policymakers, business leaders, environmentalists, academics, and scientists from around the world to unite their efforts since 1987 around sustainable development. This development not only promotes economic sustainability but also environmental, social, and corporate sustainability, where clean production, responsible consumption, and sustainable infrastructures prevail. In this context, the present article aims to propose a development framework for sustainability in food sector SMEs, which includes Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies as key elements to reduce CO₂ emissions and improve operational efficiency. The methodology includes a comparative analysis of strategies implemented between 2019 and 2023, supported by quantitative data showing a 20% reduction in operating costs, a 10% increase in market share, and a 25% increase in productivity for companies that adopted clean technologies. This study offers a significant contribution to the field of corporate sustainability, providing a model that is adaptable and applicable across different regions, enhancing innovation and business resilience in a global context that requires collective efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals.

Background: Bitcoin mining, an energy-intensive process, requires significant amounts of electricity, which results in a particularly high carbon footprint from mining operations. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, where a substantial portion of electricity is generated from coal-fired power plants, the carbon footprint of mining operations is particularly high. This article examines the scale of energy consumption by mining farms, assesses their share in the country’s total electricity consumption, and analyzes the carbon footprint associated with bitcoin mining. A comparative analysis with other sectors of the economy, including transportation and industry is provided, along with possible measures to reduce the environmental impact of mining operations. Materials and methods: To assess the impact of bitcoin mining on the carbon footprint in Kazakhstan, electricity consumption from 2016 to 2023, provided by the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was used. Data on electricity production from various types of power plants was also analyzed. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was used to analyze the environmental performance of energy systems. CO₂ emissions were estimated based on emission factors for various energy sources. Results: The total electricity consumption in Kazakhstan increased from 74,502 GWh in 2016 to 115,067.6 GWh in 2023. The industrial sector’s electricity consumption remained relatively stable over this period. The consumption by mining farms amounted to 10,346 GWh in 2021. A comparative analysis of CO₂ emissions showed that bitcoin mining has a higher carbon footprint compared to electricity generation from renewable sources, as well as oil refining and car manufacturing. Conclusions: Bitcoin mining has a significant negative impact on the environment of the Republic of Kazakhstan due to high electricity consumption and resulting carbon dioxide emissions. Measures are needed to transition to sustainable energy sources and improve energy efficiency to reduce the environmental footprint of cryptocurrency mining activities.

Global CO₂ emissions pose a serious threat of climate change for high-growth countries, requiring increased efforts to preserve the environment and meet growing economic needs through the use of renewable energies. This research significantly enhances the current literature by filling a void and differentiating between short-term and long-term impacts across economic growth, renewable energy consumption, energy intensity, and CO₂ emissions in BRIC countries from 2002 to 2019. In contrast to approaches that analyze global effects, this study’s focus on short and long-term effects offers a more dependable insight into energy and environmental research. The empirical results confirmed that the effect of economic growth on CO₂ emissions is positive both in the short and long term. Moreover, the effect of energy consumption is negative in the short term and positive in the long term. The effect of energy intensity is positive in the short term and negative in the long term. Accordingly, policy recommendations must be adopted to ensure that these economies respond to the notion of sustainable development and the relationship with the environment. BRIC countries must strengthen their industries in the long term in favor of the use of renewable energies by introducing innovation and technology. These economies face the challenge of a transition to renewable energy sources by creating a new energy and industrial sector environment that is more environmentally friendly atmosphere.

India has experienced notable advancements in trade liberalization, innovation tactics, urbanization, financial expansion, and sophisticated economic development. Researchers are focusing more on how much energy consumption of both renewable and non-renewable accounts for overall system energy consumption in light of these dynamics. In order to gain an understanding of this important and contentious issue, we aim to examine the impact of trade openness, inventions, urbanization, financial expansion, economic development, and carbon emissions affected the usage of renewable and non-renewable energy (REU and N-REU) in India between 1980 and 2020. We apply the econometric approach involving unit root tests, FE-OLS, D-OLS, and FM-OLS, and a new Quantile Regression approach (QR). The empirical results demonstrate that trade openness, urbanization and CO₂ emissions are statistically significant and negatively linked with renewable energy utilization. In contrast, technological innovations, financial development, and economic development in India have become a source of increase in renewable energy utilization. Technological innovations were considered negatively and statistically significant in connection with non-renewable energy utilization, whereas the trade, urbanization, financial growth, economic growth, and carbon emissions have been established that positively and statistically significant influence non-renewable energy utilization. The empirical results of this study offer some policy recommendations. For instance, as financial markets are the primary drivers of economic growth and the renewable energy sector in India, they should be supported in order to reduce CO₂ emissions.

The increase in world carbon emissions is always in line with national economic growth programs, which create negative environmental externalities. To understand the effectiveness of related factors in mitigating CO₂ emissions, this study investigates the intricate relationship among macro-pillars such as economic growth, foreign investment, trade and finance, energy, and renewable energy with CO₂ emissions of the high gross domestic product economies in East Asia Pacific, such as China, Japan, Korea, Australia and Indonesia (EAP-5). Through the application of the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), this research reveals the long-term equilibrium and short-term dynamics between CO₂ emissions and selected factors from 1991 to 2020. The long-term cointegration vector test results show that economic growth and foreign investment contribute to carbon reduction. Meanwhile, the short-term Granger causality test shows that economic growth has a two-way causality towards carbon emissions, while energy consumption and renewable energy consumption have a one-way causality towards carbon emissions. In contrast, the variables trade, foreign direct investment, and domestic credit to the private sector do not have two-way causality towards CO₂ emissions. The findings reveal that economic growth and foreign investment play significant roles in carbon reduction, which are observed in long-term causality relationships, while energy consumption and renewable energy are notable factors. Thus, the study offers implications for mitigating environmental concerns on national economic growth agendas by scrutinizing and examining the efficacy of related factors.

India’s economic growth is of significant interest due to its expanding Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and global market influence. This study investigates the interplay between production, trade, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, and economic growth in India using Granger causality analysis. Also, the data from 1994 to 2023 were analyzed to explore the relationships among these variables. The results reveal strong positive correlations among production, trade, CO₂ emissions, and GDP, with production showing significant associations with export, import, and GDP. Co-integration tests confirm the presence of a long-term relationship among the variables, suggesting their interconnectedness in shaping India’s economic landscape. Regression analysis indicates that production, export, import, United States (US)-India trade, manufacturing cost of energy, and CO₂ emissions significantly impact GDP. Moreover, the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) estimation reveals both short-term and long-term dynamics, highlighting the importance of understanding equilibrium and deviations in economic variables. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of the complex interactions driving India’s economic growth and sustainability.