The year of 2024 marked the twelfth anniversary of the cooperative mechanism between China and Central and Eastern European countries (China-CEEC). China has repeatedly affirmed its willingness to implement the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), which created many opportunities to enhance the cooperation of the two sides. The paper exemplified some cases in the process of the cooperation, which were rarely discussed previously as normally it was dominated by the large-scale investment project. The cases of the climate change and ocean issues were perceived as a package of holistic EU-China relations that demonstrates the commitments from both sides to deal with SDG 13 and SDG 14. A qualitative method of the policy-circle evaluation and the goal-setting in the global governance was applied in the paper. The findings affirm that the current China-CEEC cooperation scheme is still carrying on both opportunities and challenges and affected by various internal and external factors.

In order to overcome negative demographic trends in the Russian Federation, measures to stimulate the birth rate have been developed and financed at the federal and sub-federal levels. At the moment, on the one hand, there is a tendency to centralize expenditures for these purposes at the federal level, on the other hand, the coverage of the subjects of the Russian Federation, which introduce sub-federal (subnational) maternity capital (SMC), is expanding. The study was recognized to answer the question: whether the widespread introduction of SMC is justified, whether the effect of its use depends on the level of subsidization of the region and the degree of decentralization of expenditures.

Infrastructure development is critical for sustaining Asia’s economic growth. Unfortunately, huge financing gaps—estimated by a recent Asian Development Bank study to be USD22.5 trillion—constrain the ability of most emerging Asian countries to fully realize the benefits of infrastructure development. For instance, over 70% of infrastructure investments in Asia are still funded by public resources, which pose acute financing challenges for many countries with limited budgets and fiscal constraints. This paper discusses some of the challenges associated with public financing of infrastructure projects in emerging Asian countries, before introducing some new options for alleviating their infrastructure investment needs. In particular, it proposes a new approach to infrastructure financing by utilizing the spillover effects of infrastructure investment, where additional revenues generated from such investment can be channeled back to investors as subsidy to increase the returns to their investment. The paper also argues the need for Asian countries to implement fiscal reforms and to develop a more balanced approach to financing, one that involves both the private and public sector. 

The purpose of this research is to deeply examine the factors that support and hinder green economic growth in South Papua, with a specific focus on increasing awareness and capacity among local communities, developing sustainable infrastructure, and adopting clean technologies. This research utilizes a case study approach to uncover the dynamics and elements supporting the development of green economy in South Papua, particularly in Merauke Regency. Through surveys, in-depth interviews, and document analysis, data were gathered from various stakeholders, including government, communities, and the private sector. Sampling was done using purposive sampling method, ensuring the inclusion of respondents relevant to the research topic to provide a holistic understanding of the factors influencing green economy in the region. The research reveals that in Merauke Regency, the understanding of the concept of green economy among the community is still limited, highlighting the need for broader education and socialization. Factors such as government support, infrastructure availability, and community participation play a key role in driving green economic growth. However, challenges such as resource limitations and differences in perceptions among stakeholders highlight the complexity in implementing green economy. Therefore, holistic and collaborative policy recommendations need to be considered to strengthen support and effectiveness of sustainable development efforts in this region.

Development of technologies and innovations encouraged companies to look for and implement innovative solutions in their practice seeking not only to increase the efficiency of activity but also towards sustainability. In this context, the aim of the research is to reveal innovative solutions for the improvement of the warehousing processes towards sustainability in the case of manufacturing companies. The methodological setup consists of two steps. First, a comprehensive literature analysis was conducted seeking to reveal and present a theoretical model based on the conceptual framework on this topic. Then, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 8 managers holding managerial positions in four Lithuanian manufacturing companies. The manufacturing companies were chosen for the research due to their durable experience in the market, which use advanced warehouse management methods in their operations. Main findings showed, that innovative solutions such as Big Data Datasets, smart networks, Drones, Robots, Internet of Things and etc., are important for the efficient warehousing processes. Furthermore, it is also necessary to emphasize the benefits of implementing of innovative solutions in warehousing processes not only in economic terms, but also for solving of social and environmental issues towards sustainability. The novelty of this study lies in its dual objective of filling a theoretical gap and of drawing the attention of companies and policy makers to the importance of innovative solutions implementation in the warehousing process towards sustainability.

The proportion of elderly people is growing steadily in many countries, and this trend is expected to continue. As a result, ageism—negative discrimination often tied to perceptions of the elderly—becomes especially harmful. Ageism prevents older generations from being fully accepted by society and, in turn, hinders their ability to adapt to today's technological changes. In this article, we present the results of our survey mapping the extent of ageism among youth in Uzbekistan, known for its cultural tolerance in Central Asia, and in Hungary, a more individualistic society in Central Europe. To interpret the survey results accurately, we included specific questions to measure social desirability bias, enabling a realistic comparison of ageism levels between the two countries. Data was collected through a survey translated into multiple languages, with a final sample of nearly 400 respondents, each either currently pursuing or already holding a college-level diploma. Our methodological approach was twofold. First, we conducted simple chi-square tests to compare levels of negative and positive ageism between the two countries under study. Upon finding significant differences, we used multivariable OLS regression to explain the variance in types of ageism in Uzbekistan and Hungary, accounting for the possible effects of social desirability bias. Uzbek youth demonstrated higher levels of positive ageism and lower levels of negative ageism compared to Hungarian youth. This finding confirms that the cultural tolerance in Uzbek society remains strong and, in many ways, could serve as a model for Hungary. Additionally, our literature review highlights that adequate infrastructure is essential for a society to treat older adults equitably alongside other citizens.