Business ethics plays a crucial role in developing modern business and the entire society. Thus, to develop the conceptual framework of business ethics, it is extremely interesting to study the concepts connected with it. The article identifies the main terms and concepts associated with business ethics. On this basis, the authors’ conceptual framework of business ethics was created. Within this conceptual framework, it is shown that each business unit builds and maintains relationships with stakeholders within two “circles of business ethics”: the inner circle of business ethics and the outer circle of business ethics. The article proves the hypothesis that business ethics should be considered in the context of relationships with all stakeholders, i.e., it is the ethics of business relationships with partners and competitors in the external environment, as well as within the internal environment (primarily with employees). The article will be of interest to specialists in the field of management, and corporate governance, as well as for anyone interested in the problems of corporate social management.

This study employs the Standard Error Estimation technique to investigate the connections between the digitalization of economy, population, trade openness, financial development, and sustainable development across 127 countries from 1990 to 2019. The findings revealed associations between financial development, population growth, trade openness, economic growth, Digitalization development, foreign direct investment (FDI), and sustainable development. Financial development negatively impacts sustainable development, suggesting that countries with advanced financial systems may struggle to maintain sustainability. Trade openness exhibits a negative association with sustainable development, implying that countries with open trade policies may face challenges in maintaining sustainability, possibly due to heightened competition or resource exploitation. These findings highlight the multifaceted relationship between economic factors and sustainable development, underscoring the importance of comprehensive policies and governance mechanisms in fostering sustainability amidst global economic dynamics.

Assessment of water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) is of great significance for understanding the status of regional water resources, promoting the coordinated development of water resources with environmental, social and economic development, and promoting sustainable development. This study focuses on the Longdong Loess Plateau region and utilized panel data spanning from 2010 to 2020, established a three-dimensional evaluation index system encompassing water resources, economic, and ecological dimensions, uses the entropy-weighted TOPSIS model coupled with global spatial autocorrelation analysis (Global Moran’s I) and the hot spot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi* index) method to comprehensively evaluate the spatial distribution of the WRCC in the study region. It can provide scientific basis and theoretical support for decision-making on sustainable development strategies in the Longdong Loess Plateau region and other regions of the world.From 2010 to 2020, the overall WRCC of the Longdong Loess Plateau area show some fluctuations but maintained overall growth. The WRCC in each county and district predominantly fell within level III (normal) and level IV (good). The spatial distribution of the WRCC in each county and district is featured by clustering pattern, with neighboring counties displaying similar values, resulting in a spatial distribution pattern characterized by high carrying capacity in the south and low carrying capacity in the north. Based on these findings, our study puts forth several recommendations for enhancing the WRCC in the Longdong Loess Plateau area.

The use of green bonds as a financial instrument to support sustainable development has become a major focus in Indonesia. However, the success of green bond implementation not only depends on market willingness but also on public policies that support and regulate its use. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the impact of public policies on the use of green bonds in Indonesia and how these policies can influence sustainable development. Public policy theory and sustainable development theory are the basis of analysis in this research. Public policy theory is used to understand how public policies are formed, implemented, and evaluated. Meanwhile, sustainable development theory is used to evaluate the impact of public policies on sustainable development. This research uses a qualitative approach with public policy analysis as the main method. Data are collected from various sources, including policy documents, government reports, and interviews with relevant stakeholders. The analysis results show that public policies have a significant impact on the use of green bonds in Indonesia. These policies cover various aspects, such as regulation, incentives, and government support. Additionally, these policies also influence how green bonds are used to support sustainable development in Indonesia. In order to promote sustainable development, it is important for the Indonesian government to continue developing and strengthening public policies that support the use of green bonds. This will help improve the success.

In the context of globalization and urbanization, rural development faces many challenges, such as population loss and uneven distribution of resources. This paper analyzes the similarities and differences in sustainable rural development strategies between China and Europe through a comparative perspective. China has optimized land use by relying on land policy innovations, such as the household contract responsibility system and the “separation of three rights”, as well as the construction of small towns; while Europe focuses on private ownership and market mechanisms, and supports agricultural and rural development through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Using literature review, comparative research and policy analysis, the study shows that the policy innovations in China and Europe, each with its own focus, have been effective in promoting agricultural output and rural social development. Particularly noteworthy is that the “three rights” policy has increased agricultural productivity through the liberalization of management rights, while the European CAP has contributed to the diversification of the rural economy and environmental protection through continuous reforms. This study emphasizes that through policy innovation and international cooperation, combining the strengths of China and Europe, it is possible to provide a new model of sustainable development for the global countryside. Specifically, through the establishment of Sino-European R&D centers for agricultural science and technology, exchange of talents, and cooperation in green infrastructure development, technology transfer and application can be accelerated, cultural exchange and understanding can be promoted, and the sustainable development agenda for global rural areas can be jointly advanced.

Urban infrastructures and services—such as public transportation, innovation bodies and environmental services—are important drivers for the sustainable development of our society. How effectively citizens, institutions and enterprises interact, how quickly technological innovations are implemented and how carefully new policies are pursued, synergically determine development. In this work, data related to urban infrastructure features such as patents and recycled waste referred to 106 province areas in Italy are investigated over a period of twenty years (2001–2020). Scaling laws with exponents characterizing the above mentioned features are observed and adopted to scrutinize whether and how multiple interactions within a population have amplification effects on the recycling and innovation performance. The study shows that there is a multiplication effect of the population size on the innovation performance of territories, meaning that the dynamic interactions among the elements of the innovation eco-systems in a territory increase its innovation performance. We discuss how to use such approach and the related indexes for understanding metropolitan development policy.