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.

This study aims to compare investment in human capital, equality of gender education in Kuwait before and after adopting SDG 4 and SDG 5 in 2015. It also aims to assess the effect of women’s empowerment on economic growth. To achieve this objective, published data on the State of Kuwait were collected from the World Bank DataBank between 1992 and 2022 and from the Central Bank of Kuwait. The study employed autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) to determine the impact of women’s empowerment on economic development. The analysis results revealed that the State of Kuwait provided high-quality education for both genders. The results also showed that women are more educated than men. However, this was not reflected in the role of women in the country’s politics, as their participation in parliament and government is still limited. Similarly, women’s participation in business and economic activities is still limited. Finally, the results of the ARDL test showed that women’s education and their political, business, and economic empowerment affect economic development in the short and long run.

This study investigates the role of agricultural exports as a potential engine of economic growth in South Africa, employing a cointegration and error correction model (ECM) framework on time series data from 1980 to 2023. The results confirm a long-run equilibrium relationship between agricultural exports and economic growth, with lagged total exports and employment significantly influencing GDP growth in the short run. However, other factors like foreign direct investment, gross capital formation, and population growth did not exhibit a statistically significant impact. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural exports in driving South Africa’s economic growth. To further enhance this potential, the study recommends establishing a consistent and transparent policy environment to foster investor confidence and long-term planning in the agricultural sector, expanding the range of agricultural exports to reduce vulnerability to external shocks and enhance overall economic resilience and streamlining customs procedures, reducing trade barriers, and improving logistics to enhance the competitiveness of South African agricultural exports in the global market. These policy recommendations, grounded in empirical evidence, offer a roadmap for harnessing the full potential of agricultural exports to drive sustainable economic growth in South Africa.

The current study examines the impact that technological innovation, foreign direct investment, economic growth, and globalization have on tourism in top 10 most popular tourist destinations in the world. The information on the number of tourists, foreign direct investment, growth in gross domestic product, GFCF, use of FFE, and total energy consumption were extracted from the World Development Indicators. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) database was used for collecting the statistics about technological innovation.  The source ETH Zurich has been utilized to gather panel data for the time period 2008 to 2022 to calculate the KOF Index of Globalization. Theoretically, FDI and Economic growth are the endogenous variables for the Tourism model. Whereas, TI, Glob, Energy Consumption, and GFCF are the exogenous variables. Hence, the analysis is based on the System Equation—Simultaneous equations, after checking identification that confirms the problem of simultaneity in system of 3 equations. The empirical outcomes suggest that TI, FDI, globalization index, GDP growth, and energy consumption are the most important factors that contribute to an increase in tourism. Likewise FDI as the endogenous variable is favorably impacted by globalization, technological innovation, fossil fuel energy consumption, gross fixed capital formation, and tourism. Nevertheless, the coefficient of GFCF is only insignificant in the study. While, globalization, TI, and FFE are also favorably affecting the FDI. GDP growth is the second endogenous variable in this research, and it is positively influenced by globalization, FDI, and tourism in the case of the top 10 nations that are most frequently visited by tourists.

The complex interactions of industrial Policy, structural transformation, economic growth, and competitive strategy within regional industries are examined in this research. Using a dynamic capabilities framework, the study examines the mediating roles of organizational innovation and adaptability in the link between competitiveness and macroeconomic variables. A two-way fixed effects model is used in this study to examine the influence of structural transformation (ST) on Industrial Policy (IP). Using regional data covering the years 2010 to 2022, the research undertaken in this paper explores the dynamics of the Indonesian economy by empirically assessing the consequences of structural change on industrial Policy. In order to establish a comprehensive model that clarifies the mechanisms through which industrial policies and structural shifts impact the development of dynamic capabilities, ultimately influencing competitiveness strategies, this research draws on a large amount of empirical data and integrates insights from seminal works. Our research adds to our knowledge of strategic management in regional industries by providing detailed information on how economic development and policy interventions influence businesses’ ability to adapt and gain a competitive edge. In addition to advancing scholarly discourse, this study offers business executives and politicians valuable insights for managing the intricacies of global economic processes.

This study investigates the complex interrelationship between democracy, corruption, and economic growth in Greece over the period 2012–2022. Using data from Transparency International, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and Eurostat, appropriate methods such as Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, Generalized Method of Moments(GMM) estimation, and Granger causality tests were applied. The findings reveal that increased democracy correlates positively with reported corruption, likely reflecting heightened transparency and exposure. Conversely, economic growth shows a negative association with corruption, underlining the role of structural reforms and institutional improvements. These insights emphasize the need for strengthening democratic institutions, promoting digital governance, and implementing targeted economic reforms to reduce corruption and foster sustainable development.