The sustainable development of the global economy and society necessitates the integration of environmental and socially responsible management, known as ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance). Despite growing recognition of ESG’s importance, the strategic management of ESG factors in Kazakhstan’s telecommunications industry remains underexplored. This study bridges this gap by analyzing Kazakh telecom’s ESG strategies from 2019 to 2021 through a cross-sectional design and semi-structured interviews with 12 industry experts. Utilizing the National Rating Agency (NRA) methodology, the research evaluates environmental, social, and governance variables. Key findings reveal that Kazakh telecom excels in “Climate Change” and “Human Capital Management” but needs significant improvements in “Environmental Impact” and “Society.” The study offers specific recommendations such as enhancing corporate volunteering, responsible marketing, service quality, and integrating sustainable practices. The primary contributions of this research include actionable insights for improving ESG strategies in telecommunications companies and advocating for more systematic and standardized ESG assessment approaches. This study expands the understanding of how ESG principles can enhance competitiveness and sustainable development in the telecommunications industry, providing valuable guidance for industry practitioners and policymakers. It offers insights into effective ESG implementation practices and highlights critical areas requiring attention to drive sustainable development in telecommunications.

Extensive research on pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) reveals a significant knowledge gap in understanding the influence of social class, perceived status and the middling tendency on pro-environmental behaviour. Using the International Social Survey Programme Environment dataset, and conducting multilevel mixed-effects linear regressions, we find that the middling tendency and biased status perceptions significantly influences pro-environmental behaviour. Those who deflate their social position have higher pro-environmental behavior and this reinforces the idea that pro-environmental behaviour is driven by a post-materialist effect rather than a status enhancement effect. Moreover, the objective middle class is still a stronger contributor to higher PEB levels compared to subjective middle class. We also find the relation between class, status and PEB vary by country. These findings provide vital insights into the intricate and heterogenous dynamics between class, status and pro-environmental behaviour among different countries and shed light on class and status as driving forces behind pro-environmental behaviour.

A method for studying the resilience of energy and socio-ecological systems is considered; it integrates approaches developed at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis and the Melentyev Institute of Energy Systems (MESI) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The article discusses in detail the methods of using intelligent information technologies, in particular semantic technologies and knowledge engineering (cognitive probabilistic modeling), which the authors propose to use in assessing the risks of natural and man-made threats to the resilience of the energy sector and social and ecological systems. More attention is paid to the study and adaptation of the integral indicator of quality of life, which makes it possible to combine these interdisciplinary studies.

Nigeria plays important roles in the overall socio-economic development of the entire African continent, including entrepreneurial activities. There is a less focus on the immersion of women and youths in playing participatory roles in digital entrepreneurship and digital technology innovation in order to boost the economic growth of the country. The primary objective of this study is to explore women and youths’ immersion, specifically in connection with digital entrepreneurship and digital technology innovation, for the purpose of fostering the growth of the economy. The methodology employed in this study is Critical Content Analysis (CCA) of cursory literature as an integral part of the qualitative method. The literature was sourced through different databases, such as library sources, journals, and the core collection of Web of Science (WOS), and the collections of studies used for analysis were between 2018 and 2023. The results demonstrated that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play significant roles in digital entrepreneurship activities in the country. In addition, there are various entrepreneurship programmes in the country, such as the Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YEDP), and there is awareness of the effectiveness and efficiency of digital entrepreneurship. In addition, the result further established that the use of digital technology is an important innovation for the success of digital entrepreneurship in the country. The study further indicated that five factors of women and youths’ immersion in entrepreneurship (perception and opportunities, business performance, digital adoption, skill acquisition, and enabling environment) can boost the growth of the economy in the country. In conclusion, the knowledge and skills of entrepreneurs are major drivers of wealth and job creations, with women and youths playing an active role in the overall entrepreneurship programmes. It is suggested that the stakeholders and actors in entrepreneurship should collaborate to foster the participation of women and youths in entrepreneurship programmes in the country.

The rise of fintech in the financial sector presents a transformative shift towards digitalisation and sustainability on a global scale, leveraging technologies like AI to minimise environmental footprint. Neobanks not only challenge traditional banking models but also offer innovative solutions that align with sustainable objectives. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of neobanks on global sustainability from economic, environmental, and social points of view. A comprehensive literature review of existing literature and current sustainable practices of neobanks was conducted. Results reveal that neobanks significantly positively contribute towards environmental sustainability with reduced paper use and logistics requirements of banking services. By offering more accessible and affordable banking services they importantly contribute towards higher financial inclusion, and with innovative products towards more competitive and innovative financial markets. AI-based tools they employ are increasing financial literacy and social inclusion. This article also highlights concerns regarding electronic waste management, potential high energy consumption, required digital literacy and cybersecurity risks. In conclusion, despite the mentioned risks, neobanks importantly contribute to global sustainability in many ways and will even more in the future. These findings can help neobanks shape sustainable practices and guide policymaking, as well as spread awareness of the sustainable impact of banking services.

In the modern economy, non-financial reporting has become an essential tool for evaluating the social performance of companies. This article explores the importance of non-financial reporting as a central element in assessing sustainable performance, focusing on analyzing sustainability reports published by 20 companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB). The study examines how these companies approach environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects in their reports and what is the relationship between these aspects and financial reporting indicators. Through the statistical analysis of the non-financial reports published by companies participating in the study with the help of the Pearson coefficient and the regression equations, the correlation between the financial and non-financial indicators is determined in order to validate the research hypotheses. The results indicate increased attention to transparency and social responsibility, highlighting the correlation between sound reporting practices and cooperative performance by combining social and environmental aspects with financial information. The research also highlights the challenges encountered in the reporting process and the level of compliance with international sustainability standards.