The global increase in organic food consumption underscores the need for in-depth research to understand the determinants of consumer purchase intentions towards organic products. Hence, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing the consumer purchase intentions towards organic food through an analysis involving 274 participants. Additionally, it also explores the mediating and moderating effects of attitudes and environmental concerns on the purchasing intentions towards organic food, providing insights in how these psychological and environmental factors influence consumer behavior. Using a quantitative method, data was gathered from the South Korean cities of Jinju and Changwon. However, analysis was performed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The research findings illustrate that subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and ethical consciousness significantly influence attitudes towards purchase intentions of organic foods. Moreover, the results indicate that attitude positively influenced consumer purchase intention towards organic food. Results reveal that attitude serves as a mediator in the relationship between subjective norms and consumer purchase intentions for organic food. Similarly, Likewise, attitude mediates the connection between perceived behavioral control and consumer purchase intention towards organic food. Additionally, the results indicate that attitude mediates the relationship between ethical consciousness and consumer purchase intention towards organic food. Furthermore, environmental concerns are found to significantly moderate the association between attitude and consumer purchase intention towards organic foods. The insights garnered from this study shed light on consumer intentions to purchase organic foods, equipping stakeholders such as marketers, retailers, and producers with valuable insights for creating effective marketing strategies aiming at promotion of these products. This research serves as a pivotal resource for developing targeted approaches to enhance the market share and consumption of organic foods.

This study investigates the influence of Environmental, Social, and Governance Disclosures (ESGD) on the profitability of firms, using a sample of 385 publicly listed companies on the Thai Stock Exchange. Data from 2018 to 2022 is sourced from the Bloomberg database, focusing on ESGD scores as indicators of companies’ ESG commitments. The study utilizes a structural equation model to examine the relationships between independent variables; ESGD, Earnings Per Share (EPS), Debt to Assets ratio (DA), Return on Investment Capital (ROIC), Total Assets (TA), and dependent variables Tobin’s Q (TBQ) and Return on Assets (ROA). The analysis reveals a positive relationship between ESGD and TBQ, but not with ROA. Further exploration is conducted to determine if different ESGD levels (high, medium, low) yield consistent effects on TBQ. The findings indicate discrepancies: high and medium ESGD levels are associated with a negative impact on TBQ when EPS increased, whereas low ESGD levels correlate with an increase in TBQ with rising EPS. This nuanced approach challenges the conventional uniform treatment of ESGD in previous research and provides a deeper understanding of how varying commitments to ESG practices affect a firm’s market valuation and profitability. These insights are crucial for firm management, highlighting the importance of ESGD in relation to other financial variables and their effects on market value. This study offers a new perspective on ESGD’s impact, emphasizing the need for differentiated strategies based on ESG commitment levels.

The following paper assesses the relationship between electricity consumption, economic growth, environmental pollution, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) development in Kazakhstan. Using the structural equation method, the study analyzes panel data gathered across various regions of Kazakhstan between 2014 and 2022. The data were sourced from official records of the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan and include all regions of Kazakhstan. The chosen timeframe includes the period from 2014, which marked a significant drop in oil prices that impacted the overall economic situation in the country, to 2022. The main hypotheses of the study relate to the impact of electricity consumption on economic growth, ICT, and environmental sustainability, as well as ICT’s role in economic development and environmental impact. The results show electricity consumption’s positive effect on economic growth and ICT development while also revealing an increase in pollutant emissions (emissions of liquid and gaseous pollutants) with economic growth and electricity consumption. The development of ICT in Kazakhstan has been revealed to not have a direct effect on reducing pollutant emissions into the environment, raising important questions about how technology can be leveraged to mitigate environmental impact, whether current technological advancements are sufficient to address environmental challenges, and what specific measures are needed to enhance the environmental benefits of ICT. There is a clear necessity to integrate sustainable practices and technologies to achieve balanced development. These results offer important insights into the relationships among electricity consumption, technology, economic development, and environmental issues. They underscore the complexity and multidimensionality of these interactions and suggest directions for future research, especially in the context of finding sustainable solutions for balanced development.

In the modern economy, non-financial reporting has become an essential tool for evaluating the social performance of companies. This article explores the importance of non-financial reporting as a central element in assessing sustainable performance, focusing on analyzing sustainability reports published by 20 companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB). The study examines how these companies approach environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects in their reports and what is the relationship between these aspects and financial reporting indicators. Through the statistical analysis of the non-financial reports published by companies participating in the study with the help of the Pearson coefficient and the regression equations, the correlation between the financial and non-financial indicators is determined in order to validate the research hypotheses. The results indicate increased attention to transparency and social responsibility, highlighting the correlation between sound reporting practices and cooperative performance by combining social and environmental aspects with financial information. The research also highlights the challenges encountered in the reporting process and the level of compliance with international sustainability standards.

The study is devoted to the problem of processing the organic waste that is generated as a result of paper, textiles and other industries production as well as food waste. The growth of economic activity in Kazakhstan has resulted in a significant challenge with regard to industrial waste management. The accumulation of waste on the territory of the country has reached 31.72 billion tonnes, comprising approximately 2.5 billion tonnes of hazardous waste, 50 million tonnes of phosphorus-containing waste, over 2.5 million tonnes of lead-zinc waste and more than 120 million tonnes of solid domestic waste. The study object was the Shymkent-Kokys polygons. According to the research carried out, it was determined that the titer of microorganisms of the studied groups is 1–10 CFU/g in the soils selected around the garbage in the area of the Shymkent landfill. The titer of microorganisms in the soil horizons was high at a depth of 20–30 cm and the titer were 10⁹ cells/mL. The structure of the soil microbiome obtained around the Shymkent Waste Landfill consists of actinomycetes, micromycetes, heterotrophic bacteria, nitrifying, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, enterobacteria, as well as algae and protozoa. It was found that strains KPA1, KPA2 Pseudomonas sp. strains KPA3, KPA4, KPA5 Bacillus sp. isolated from the soils of the Shymkent-Kokys landfill are able to recycle domestic waste with a high content of cellulose and organic substances up to 95%–97%. The findings can be used to develop more effective organic cellulosic waste management strategies and improve the environmental sustainability of various industries.