It is increasingly obvious the huge improvement caused in loss of habitat and degradation in environment. Various nations are prone to natural disasters if this issue is not addressed. The development of finance has been hailed as significant in alleviating environmental concerns due to its part as a source of cash for the development of green technology. The primary goal of this research is to satisfy an acquaintance vacuum by investigating the relationship amongst economic growth and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) concert throughout Asia. This analysis made use of country-level data from 2010 to 2015. Economic growth is positively connected to ESG routine, due to examination upon the pooled normal least squares method, the immovable impact logistic method, these two-phase least squares technique, and the structure’s generalised approach of moments estimator. Additionally, additional tests including financial sector growth subcomponents (financial platforms and financial institutions) reveal that the conclusion is consistent and resilient under multiple model settings. Financial development, when combined, is an essential catalyst for promoting ESG performance in Asia.

Application of nanoparticles have been proven to aid heat transfer in engineering systems. This work experimentally investigated the performance of a domestic refrigerator under the influence of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles dispersed in mineral oil based lubricant at different charges (40, 60 and 80 g) of LPG refrigerant. The performance of the system was then investigated using test parameters including: power consumption, evaporator air temperature (pull-down time), to attain the specified International Standard Organisation (ISO) requirement for standard evaporator air temperature with small refrigerator size. Results showed improved pull down time and steady state evaporator air temperatures for the nano-lubricant based LPG. Improvement of about 11.79% in coefficient of performance (COP) was obtained with Al₂O₃-lubricant based LPG at 40g charge on the refrigerator system, while reduction of about 2.08% and 4.41% in COP were observed at 60 and 80 g charge of LPG based on Al₂O₃-lubricant respectively. Furthermore, reduction of about 13.4% and 19.53% in the power consumption of the system were observed at 40 and 60g charges of Al₂O₃-lubricant based LPG, whereas at 80 g, an increase of about 1.28% was recorded. Using Al₂O₃-LPG nano-refrigerant in domestic refrigerators is economical  and also a better alternative to pure LPG.

A Detailed geophysical investigation was conducted on Knossos territory of Crete Island. Main scope was the detection of underground archaeological settlements. Geophysical prospecting applied by an experienced geophysical team. According to area dimensions in relation to geological and structural conditions, the team designed specific geophysical techniques, by adopted non-catastrophic methods. Three different types of geophysical techniques performed gradually. Geophysical investigation consisted of the application of geoelectric mapping and geomagnetic prospecting. Electric mapping focusses on recording soil resistance distribution. Geomagnetic survey was performed by using two different types of magnetometers. Firstly, recorded distribution of geomagnetic intensity and secondly alteration of vertical gradient. Measured stations laid along the south-north axis with intervals equal to one meter. Both magnetometers were adjusted on a quiet magnetic station. Values were stored in files readable by geophysical interpretation software in XYZ format. Oasis Montaj was adopted for interpretation of measured physical properties distribution. Interpretation results were illustrated as color scale maps. Further processing applied on magnetic measurements. Results are confirmed by overlaying results from three different techniques. Geoelectric mapping contributed to detection of a few archaeological targets. Most of them were recorded by geomagnetic technique. Total intensity aimed to report the existence of magnetized bodies. Vertical gradient detected subsurface targets with clearly geometrical characteristics.

This study is considered one of the few studies that attempted to explore the relationship between exports and foreign direct investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study aims to determine the nature of the relationship between exports and foreign direct investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the period between (1990–2023). Employing Ender’s methodology using cointegration and error correction model. The study also relies on data on Saudi exports and foreign direct investment inflows from the World Bank databases. The results indicate the existence of Cointegration between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and the Saudi exports in the period (1990–2023), as for the causal relationship between the two variables, the results showed the causal relation between exports and FDI inflows from the direction of exports only, which means that Saudi exports cause FDI inflows in Saudi Arabia, and the study recommends giving more incentives to attract foreign investors in different sector rather than oil sector, besides improving the logistical services which is vital to any investment attraction strategy.

Poverty, and especially the widening disparity between the rich and the poor, leads to social unrest that can interrupt the harmonious development of human society. Understanding the reasons for income inequality, and supporting the development of an effective strategy to reduce this inequality, have been major goals in socioeconomic research around the world. To identify the determinants of the income gap, we calculated the Gini coefficients for Chinese provinces and performed regression analysis and contribution analysis for heterogeneity, using data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2002 to 2018. We found that urbanization, higher education, and foreign direct investment in eastern China and energy in central and western China were important factors that increased the Gini coefficient (i.e., decreased equality). Therefore, paying more attention to the fair distribution of the factors that can increase the Gini coefficient and investing more in the factors that can reduce the Gini coefficient will be the keys to narrowing the income gap. Our approach revealed factors that should be targeted for solutions both in China and in other developing countries that are facing similar difficulties, although the details will vary among countries and contexts.

In this policy insight, the author lays out the context of the BRI and its role in global development. He also explains why the US should consider working with China on the BRI. The author opines on China’s possible approach and strategy to get global private investors to come on board for the massive BRI projects. He suggests that the global players can establish a third-party market cooperation and coordination mechanism to turn the BRI into a platform for win-win global collaboration.