Purpose: Today’s challenges underscore the importance of energy across all segments of life. This scientific paper investigates the multifaceted relationship between energy efficiency, energy import reliance, population heating access, renewable energy integration, electricity production capacities, internet utilization, structural EU funds, and education/training within the framework of economic development. Methodology: Using data from selected European countries and employing self-organizing neural networks (SOM) and linear regression, this research explores how these interconnected factors influence the journey toward a sustainable and prosperous economic future. Results: The analysis revealed a strong connection between energy efficiency and numerous socioeconomic factors of modern times, with most of these connections being non-linear in nature. Conclusion: As countries work toward sustainable development goals, prioritizing energy efficiency can contribute to improved quality of life, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

This study simultaneously examined the linkages among environmental dynamism, three dynamic capabilities, and the competitive advantages of retail businesses, which have not been identified before. Furthermore, this study fills the significant gaps in the literature and practical guidelines for retail development through improving retailer’s dynamic capabilities in response to environmental dynamism. The study used a quantitative approach by partial least squares SEM (PLS-SEM) to examine the hypotheses. Data were collected from 304 Vietnamese retail business managers. The results show that environmental dynamism plays a significant role in fostering the improvement of retailers’ dynamic capabilities. The findings also reveal positive linkages among the three dynamic capabilities before they significantly improve retailers’ competitive advantage. These are the valuable guidelines for retailers to nurture their dynamic capabilities, including service innovation capabilities, multi-channel integration, and brand orientation for sustaining their competitive advantages.

In Nigeria, deforestation has led to an unimaginable loss of genetic variation within tree populations. Regrettably, little is known about the genetic variation of many important indigenous timber species in Nigeria. More so, the specific tools to evaluate the genetic diversity of these timber species are scarce. Therefore, this study developed species-specific markers for Pterygota macrocarpa using state-of-the-art equipment. Leaf samples were collected from Akure Forest Reserve, Ondo State, Nigeria. DNA isolation, quantification, PCR amplification, gel electrophoresis, post-PCR purification, and sequencing were done following a standardized protocol. The melting temperatures (TM) of the DNA fragments range from 57.5 ℃to 60.1 ℃ for primers developed from the MatK gene and 58.7 ℃ to 60.5 ℃ for primers developed from the RuBisCo gene. The characteristics of the ten primers developed are within the range appropriate for genetic diversity assessment. These species-specific primers are therefore recommended for population evaluation of Pterygota macrocarpa in Nigeria.

This paper discusses the concept of creating a new reality using the approaches of smart cities to develop eco-cities, in which the necessary balance between nature and progress can be maintained. The authors propose that the concept of smart cities should be used as a tool for the creation of eco-cities, and argue that the positive synergies between the two will be strongest if the smart concept acts as a tool for the creation of eco. The core elements of a smart eco-city are identified as smart sustainable use of resources, a smart sustainable healthy community, and a smart sustainable economy. The results of the article were the foundation for the development concept for Vision Bratislava 2050—the vision and strategy for the development of the capital of the Slovak Republic. The authors also discuss the challenges of transforming cities into smart eco-formats, including the need for digital resilience in the face of potential cataclysms. They suggest that this is a promising area for further research into the concept of smart eco-cities.

The national park with Chinese characteristics is the highest level of protection of a kind of natural protection, its establishment marks the park will implement the strictest ecological protection means. It is of great value to construct the utilization system of national park resources under the new natural protected area system in the new era to avoid the misunderstanding of “ecological protection only” and explore how to carry out the sustainable utilization of resources in the reform of national park system and mechanism. According to the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Delphi method, the evaluation framework, indicators, reference standards and weights of resource utilization under the national park system were determined in combination with the requirements of constructing the protected natural area system and the total value of resource ecosystem services (including harvest value, existence value and future value). Based on the application research of Bawangling zone of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, the optimal resource utilization system in the future was proposed, and two optimization strategies of ecological adjustment of resource utilization system and construction of suitable resource utilization system were put forward.

This research examines the intricate connection between tourism and environmental destruction in 28 Asian countries, concentrating on the non-linear impacts of tourism. Moreover, this study contemplates how tourism can mitigate the effects of economic growth on environmental decline. Westerlund, Johansen-Fisher, and Pedronico-integration tests are necessary to detect the co-integration connection between the proposed factors. The research also uses the Augmented Mean Group; the dynamic system generalized method of moments, and fully changed Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). These tools help address econometric and economic problems such as co-integration, dynamism, variation, inter-sectional dependence, and endogeneity. The results demonstrate a U-shaped non-linear connection between ecological footprint and Tourism in Asian nations. Primarily, the tourism industry can initially decrease environmental damage. However, as it increases in size, it can worsen the harm. Additionally, the study suggests that tourism negatively influences how economic growth affects ecological footprint. This research contributes to the existing literature on tourism’s effects on the environment. The research suggests that tourism significantly impacts the environment; therefore, initiatives to reduce damage should be aimed at tourism.