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.

Technological innovation allows nations to produce sophisticated products more efficiently and at higher quality to increase exports. Countries that aim to produce and export sophisticated products can improve their economic complexity and lead to the country’s economic development. Hence, the study investigates the impact of technological innovation on economic complexity in South Africa. Technological innovation, exports, and manufactured products were used as variables to examine South Africa’s economic complexity index. The study employed the ARDL method to determine the relationship among the variables. The ARDL F-bounds test reflected the long-run cointegration among the selected variables. The study produced long-run positive estimates of technological innovation, exports, and manufactured products on economic complexity, however, manufactured products and exports were insignificant. Granger causality indicated unidirectional causality on economic complexity to manufactured products, exports to technological innovation, and a bi-directional causal effect from exports to economic complexity and technological innovation to economic complexity. The study recommends that South Africa focus on innovation, create more diversified and sophisticated products and processes, and promote more manufacturing firms, particularly Agri-processed products.

The global COVID-19 crisis has precipitated an economic downturn in many countries, subsequently raising concerns about the potential challenges faced by marginalized populations, such as refugees, in accessing essential healthcare, hygiene facilities, and critical health information and safety guidelines within the context of Jordan. Consequently, it is of paramount importance to investigate and evaluate the specific economic hurdles related to COVID-19 that refugees are encountering. This inquiry will serve as a valuable foundation for shaping public health interventions aimed at containing the virus’s spread and guiding policymakers on strategies to enhance the well-being of refugees in Jordan. This paper offers a comprehensive examination of Syrian refugees in Jordan, including an analysis of the policies implemented by Jordan concerning Syrian refugees in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the report assesses whether international assistance, both through bilateral and multilateral channels, can mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Jordan’s capacity to continue hosting Syrian refugees. It also delves into the economic consequences of COVID-19, covering aspects such as poverty, education, the health sector budget, healthcare accessibility, essential needs, livelihoods, the labor market, and food security among Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Sustainable development within music education is essential, particularly in ensuring that popular music can continually and effectively serve educational systems. This research aims to 1) examine pop music chord progression, 2) develop a chord progression book specifically for teaching music students, and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of this educational tool in improving music composition skills. A mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative research, was used. Research tools included an interview guide, Ioc forms, a textbook, and a performance assessment form. Interviews were conducted with five experts in pop music composition, while a group of 14 undergraduate music students participated in the experimental study. These methods evaluated how teaching popular music chord composition enhances students’ practical composition abilities. The findings indicate that 1) chord composition in popular music primarily involves five aspects: melody, rhythm, chord structure, music form, and melody development techniques, with melody and chord as the foundational elements; 2) the chord progression textbook for popular music differs from traditional composition theory texts, combining theory and practical application with a focus on chord progression techniques; and 3) instruction in popular music chord composition significantly enhances students’ skills in melody creation, production, and listening, ultimately fostering practical music creation abilities. This study supports the sustainable integration of popular music in both music infrastructure construction and music education system development, offering insights into how such integration can drive long-term advancements in music education.

This study employs a mixed-methods approach to explore the financial ramifications and perceived hurdles of adopting international accounting guidelines on asset value reduction in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Barranquilla, Colombia, over a recent multi-year timeframe. Through scrutiny of fiscal data and thorough dialogues with SME leaders and finance professionals, the investigation unveils significant industry-specific variations in the monetary impact of embracing these global standards. Manufacturing SMEs are found to shoulder a weightier burden compared to their counterparts in the service sector. The research underscores the pivotal role of perceived standard intricacy in molding the financial outcomes for SMEs, even when accounting for factors such as acquaintance with the guidelines and professional tenure. These discoveries augment our comprehension of global accounting standard adoption in emerging economies and accentuate the necessity for bespoke support mechanisms to assist SMEs in traversing the complexities of implementing these international norms. The insights gleaned from this inquiry can guide policymakers and accounting authorities in crafting sector-specific directives and resources. Such targeted assistance can aid SMEs in harmonizing with worldwide accounting practices while curtailing potential adverse effects on their fiscal performance.

Growing urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa, with its attendant degradation of natural vegetation, is a real scourge. It takes the form of urban sprawl, with its corollary of native vegetation degradation. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of urban sprawl in Brazzaville and the related degradation of the vegetation covering on the urban site. The methodological approach was based on the collection of documentary and field data, as well as the analysis of Landsat satellite images from 2002, 2012 and 2022. The results show a regressive evolution of natural plant formations in favor of urbanization. The area of vegetation cover fell from 17,523 ha in 2002 to 8355.5 ha in 2022, representing a regression rate of 52.32% in 20 years. At the same time, the urban area has grown from 12,164 ha in 2002 to 29,892 ha in 2022, an increase of 145.74%. This deterioration in vegetation cover is reflected in water erosion, resulting in silting-up and flooding of homes and sanitation facilities.