Poverty, as a phenomenon, remains an obstacle to global sustainable development. Although a universal malaise, it is more prevalent in underdeveloped countries, including Nigeria. However, because of its devastating impacts on the Nigerian economy, such as increasing death rates, high crime rates, insecurity difficulties, threats to national cohesion, and so on, successive administrations have implemented poverty alleviation programs to mitigate the consequences of this disease. Worryingly, despite a multiplicity of projects and massive human and natural resources invested to match global standards, Nigeria remains impoverished. The curiosity at how these programs fail, either because of implementation hiccups or because elites’ wealth and power influence these programs spurred the paper to assess poverty alleviation policies and elitist approaches in Nigeria. The study employed the desk study approach, as it examined secondary sources such as books, journals, articles, and magazines. Its theoretical underpinning was the elite theory. The paper discovered that several factors such as corruption, the elitist nature of the policies which in disguise reflect public interests, lack of continuity, lack of coordination and monitoring system, misappropriation of public resources, and others, led to the poor performances of government in alleviating poverty in Nigeria. The paper concludes that, while the rate of poverty index in Nigeria rises year after year, poverty alleviation efforts in Nigeria have had little or no influence on the Nigerian economy, since most of these projects are purely reflective of the elites’ interests rather than the masses. Therefore, the paper recommends that for there to be a reduction in poverty incidence in Nigeria, a holistic developmental approach should be adopted, the policies formulated and implemented should sync with the needs of the citizens, and quality and viable programs should be sustained and financed irrespective of change in government; public accountability should be instilled; proper coordination and monitoring system should be domesticated, etc.

Climate change is the most important environmental problem of the 21st century. Severe climate changes are caused by changes in the average temperature and rainfall can affect economic sectors. On the other hand, the impact of climate change on countries varies depending on their level of development. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between climate changes and economic sectors in developed and developing countries for the period 1990–2021. For this purpose, a novel approach based on wavelet analysis and SUR model has been used. In this case, first all variables are decomposed into different frequencies (short, medium and long terms) using wavelet decomposition and then a SUR model is applied for the examination of climate change effects on agriculture, industry and services sectors in developed and developing countries. The findings indicate that temperature and rainfall have a significant negative and positive relationship with the agriculture, industry and services sectors in developed and developing countries, respectively. But severity of the negative effects is greater in the agricultural and industrial sectors in all frequencies (short, medium and long terms) compared to service sector. Furthermore, the severity of the positive effects is greater in the agricultural sector in all frequencies of developing countries compared to the industrial and services sectors. Finally, developing countries are more vulnerable to climate change in all sectors compared to developed countries.

The key goal of the study is to identify aspects of the implementation of blockchain technologies in human resource management and argue for the moderating role of institutional support. The need to introduce new technologies at both the tactical and strategic levels is substantiated. It is highlighted that the key core of modern organizations is the human resource management system. The role of integration of blockchain technologies in human resource management, which ensures the effective training of qualified personnel at the right time and in the right place, is argued. It has been determined that the introduction of blockchain technologies in human resource management facilitates the organization of cooperation between countries in updating skills and knowledge based on compliance with competency standards and corporate governance rules. A survey of 300 employees of the pharmaceutical industry in Jordan was conducted, which served as the basis for a multivariate analysis to confirm reasonable hypotheses. The results obtained are valuable and can be applied in practice in terms of determining the impact of the implementation of blockchain technology in the human resource management system and on the UTAUT structure, which in turn provides institutional support.

This study aims at analyzing the consumers’ perception towards online purchasing bakery goods on subjective norm (SN), computer self-efficacy (CSE), and technology acceptance model (TAM). Convenience sampling was used and the final sample of respondents was made of 344 participants, with an effective recovery rate of 96%, who bought bakery goods on the LINE social platform in Nantou County. Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and SEM structural equation model were used to test the research hypothesis. The results show that after adding external variables to the technology acceptance model (TAM), the application of purchasing bakery goods online is significant; the consumers’ behavior of purchasing bakery goods online, subjective norm (SN), computer self-efficacy (CSE), and technology acceptance model (TAM) have cause-and-effect relationships. This research concludes that it is easy, helpful, and worthy to use the Internet to buy bakery goods.

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.

Noise pollution in construction sites is a significant concern, impacting worker health, safety, communication, and productivity. The current study aims to assess the paramount consequences of ambient noise pollution on construction activities and workers’ productivity in Peshawar, Pakistan. Noise measurements have been recorded at four different construction sites in Peshawar at different times of the day. Statistical analysis and Relative Importance Index (RII) are employed to evaluate the data Risk variables, such as equipment maintenance, noise control, increased workload, material handling challenges, quality control issues, and client satisfaction. The results indicated that noise levels often exceeded permissible limits, particularly in the afternoon, posing significant worker risks. In addition, RII analysis identified communication difficulties, safety hazards, and decreased productivity as significant issues. The results show that noise pollution is directly linked with safety risks, decreased performance, and client dissatisfaction and needs immediate attention by authorities. This paper proposes a strategic policy framework, recommending uniform hand signals and visual communication methods without noise for workers, worker training about safety, and using wearable devices in noisy settings. Communication training for teams and crane operators, proactive quality control, and customer-oriented project schedules are also proposed. These recommendations aim to mitigate the adverse effects of noise pollution, enhance construction industry resilience, and improve overall operational efficiency, worker safety, and client satisfaction in the construction sector of Peshawar, aligning with policy and sustainable development objectives.

This article examines how financial technology determines bank performance in different EU countries. The answer to that question would allow banks to choose their development policy. The paper focuses  on the main and most popular bank services that are linked to financial technology. A SWOT analysis of FinTech is also presented to show the benefits and drawbacks of FinTech. FinTech-based services are very diverse and are provided by financial  firms and banks alike. This paper looks at the financial technology provided by banks: internet usage (internet banking), number of ATMs, credit transfers in a country, percentage of the population in a country holding a debit or credit card and whether that population has received or made a digital payment. Using the multi-criteria assessment methods of CRITIC and EDAS, the authors analysed and compared the countries of the European Union and the financial technology used in them. As a result of the application of these methods, the EU countries under consideration were ranked in terms of the use of financial technology. Subsequently, three banks from different countries with different levels of the use of financial technology were selected for the study. For these banks, financial ratios of profitability were calculated to characterise their performance. Correlation and pairwise regression analyses between the banks’ profitability ratios and financial technology were used to assess the relationship and influence between these ratios. The main conclusion of the study focuses on the extent to which financial technology influences the performance of banks in the selected countries. It is likely that further research will try to take into account the size of the country’s population when analysing all financial technologies. Researchers also needed to find out what influence financial technologies have on the such financial indicators as operational efficiency (costs), financial stability, and capital adequacy.

This work presents a review of Mexican Higher Education during the decade of education for sustainable development and how today it faces the commitments made for the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. By portraying the agreements that support the UN’s Development Program in advising higher education institutions, the SDGs which can be served through universities and their by-products, the success stories of some universities are shown. This case study addresses the theoretical value of quality of life and harmony of the environment, remarking on how different universities in Mexico have approached this matter as a key part of their curricula, policy, and research. Showcasing a special emphasis given to the work carried out by the University of Sonora, specifically for their institutional practices for sustainability and the study of sustainability from the perspective of Environmental Psychology.