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.

Introduction/Main objectives: This study aims to test the influence of the application of the concept of value for money on regional government financial management at the quality level of regional development, which is determined by the level of foreign and domestic investment in local governments. Background problems: State the problem or economic/business phenomena studied in this paper and specify the research question(s) in one sentence. Novelty: This study has a research model that has yet to be widely carried out in Indonesia, namely, a moderated model regression analysis of the value concept for money on the quality of regional development with investment as a moderating variable. Research methods: This study uses data on financial performance, domestic and foreign investment levels, and human development index of 34 provincial governments from 2017 to 2021. This research data comes from the website of the Directorate General of Fiscal Balance, Ministry of Finance and the Central Bureau of Statistics. The data collected in this study is then analyzed using moderated regression analysis (MRA) with the SPSS ver 23.0 application. Findings/Results: The findings in the research show that the application of value for money ( economics, efficiency, and effectiveness ) from local government financial governance can influence the quality of regional development in Indonesia’s provinces in 2017–2021. In addition, the existence of foreign and domestic investment in the provincial government also strengthens the influence of value-for-money financial governance on the quality level of regional development in the provincial government. Conclusion: Based on existing research, local government financial management applies the concept that value for money needs to be increased to create optimal public services to improve the quality of human development in the regions. Regional governments are also expected to be able to encourage the level of capital investment both domestically and abroad to support the creation of development that can strengthen the quality of regional development in the regions.

Working Capital Management (hereafter WCM) is the strategic tool that helps a company navigate through challenging economic growth, and influence its competitive performance. Thus, this study examines the impact of WCM on the competitiveness of firms operating in the non-financial sectors in Pakistan. We use the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique to ensure the robustness of our results. The study findings reveal that both a large net trade cycle and surplus working capital have a substantial negative impact on firms’ competitiveness within their respective industries. These results suggest that companies should streamline their investments in working capital accounts and concentrate more resources on long-term projects that maximize value to improve their competitiveness compared to other companies. Therefore, firms that are effectively managing their short-term financial affairs are experiencing much better performance in all aspects of firm performance. The research findings highlight the urgent need for governmental initiatives designed to improve WCM practices in these industries. It is imperative for the management of  companies with excess net working capital to maximize their working capital efficiency, aligning it with industry standards to enhance competitiveness. Moreover, policymakers should prioritize easing access to financial alternatives that allow enterprises to maintain an efficient working capital structure without relying on excessive measures. Furthermore, policymakers should be cautious when determining minimum cash balance requirements in a cash-strapped economy where external financing is relatively more expensive than in other regional economies.