In recent years, environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have emerged as a significant area of focus for companies. Furthermore, the international trend is reinforced by the emergence of relevant regulations and the obligation to prepare sustainability reports in leading economies and in the European Union. The impact of ESG and its constituent elements (environmental, social, and governance) on financial performance has been the subject of extensive investigation, with the majority of studies documenting a positive correlation. This evidence substantiates the assertion that sustainability initiatives can yield financial benefits. Concurrently, research has accorded much less attention to the impact of ESG performance on brand value, which can be identified as an indicator of consumer perception. This study, based on data from 26 global corporations between 2012 and 2021, demonstrates that efforts in the areas of environmental and social responsibility have a positive impact on consumer perception, which translates into increased brand value. Nevertheless, such a relationship was not found in case of the governance component.

In the present and future of education, fostering complex thinking, especially in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is critical to lifelong learning. This study aimed to analyze learning scenarios within the framework of a model that promotes complex thinking and integrated design analysis, to identify the contributions of linking design models to the SDGs. The research question was: How does the open educational model of complex thinking link to the SDGs and scenario design? The analysis examined a pedagogical approach that introduced 33 participants to the instructional design of real-life or simulated situations to develop complex thinking skills. The categories of analysis were the model components, the SDGs, and scenario designs. The findings considered (a) innovative design capacity linked to SDG challenges, (b) linking theory and practice to foster complex thinking, and (c) the critical supporting tools for scenario design. The study intends to be of value to academic, social, and business communities interested in mobilizing complex thinking to support lifelong learning.

Nigeria’s palm oil processing industry poses significant environmental pollution risks, jeopardizing the country’s ability to meet the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Traditional processing methods generate palm oil mill effluent (POME), contaminating soil and shallow wells. This study investigated water samples from five locations (Edo, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Delta, and Imo states) with high effluent release. While some parameters met international and national standards (WHO guidelines, ASCE, NIS, and NSDWQ) others exceeded acceptable limits, detrimental to improved water quality. Results showed, pH values within acceptable ranges (6.5–8.5), high total conductivity and salinity (800–1150 µS/cm), acceptable hardness values (200–300 mg/L), nitrite concentrations (10–45 mg/L), excessive magnesium absorption (> 50 mg/L), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) indicating significant pollution (75–290 mg/L), total dissolved solids (TDS) exceeding safe limits in four locations, total solids (TS) exceeding allowable limits for drinking water (310–845 mg/L), water quality index (WQI) values ranged from “poor” to “very poor”. POME contamination by metals like magnesium, nitrite, chloride, and sodium compromised shallow well water quality. Correlation analysis confirmed robust results, indicating strong positive correlations between conductivity and TDS (r = 0.85, p < 0.01) and pH and total hardness (r = 0.65, p < 0.05). The study emphasizes the need for environmentally friendly palm oil processing methods to mitigate pollution, ensure safe drinking water, and achieve Nigeria’s SDGs. Implementation of sustainable practices is crucial to protect public health and the environment.

Air cargo transportation accounts for less than 1% of the global trade volume, yet it represents approximately 35% of the total value of goods transported, highlighting its strategic importance in trade and economic development. This study investigates the relationship between domestic air cargo transport in Brazil and key macroeconomic variables, focusing on how regional economic dynamism, logistical infrastructure, and population density impact the country’s development. Using a panel data regression model covering the period from 2000 to 2020, the study analyzes the evolution of air cargo transportation and its role in redistributing economic growth across Brazil’s regions. The findings emphasize the key factors influencing the air cargo sector and demonstrate how these factors can be leveraged to optimize public policies and business strategies. This research provides valuable insights into the relevance of air cargo transportation for regional and national development, particularly in emerging economies like Brazil, offering guidance for the formulation of strategies that promote balanced economic growth across regions.

With the economic development and the carbon emissions cluster rise, this study uses CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and R-based Bibliometrix software to visualize and analyze the relevant literature on carbon emissions retrieved from the Web of Science database from 2014 to 2023. Through the analysis of the trend of publication volume, author co-citation analysis, institutional co-citation analysis, country co-citation analysis, literature co-citation analysis, thematic analysis of research, research evolution, and other related contents, it reveals the main academic forces, hot research areas, thematic focus changes and cutting-edge trends of international carbon emission research. The results of the study found that the themes of international carbon emissions research focus on carbon emissions, the drivers of carbon neutrality, and the impacts of climate change. An in-depth study of these aspects can help formulate more effective climate policies and emission reduction strategies to achieve global carbon neutrality and combat climate change.