Entrepreneurship contributes to the economic well-being of every country. Specifically, the level of individual entrepreneurship is crucial in the process of developing and building economic potential, especially in Central European countries. Among the several factors impacting entrepreneurship, the ability to access the necessary external sources of financing need to be considered crucial. The financial literacy of the entrepreneur plays a crucial role in the relationship between the lender and the borrower. In this paper, we investigate the effects of financial literacy on sustainable entrepreneurship. We based our analysis on the framework proposed by the World Economic Forum. We present an OLS model that adopts entrepreneurship, financial literacy and macroeconomic variables. The analysis is carried out on individual and national data from different sources of information (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, World Bank, and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). The results show a positive and statistically significant relationship between financial literacy and sustainable entrepreneurial activity. This evidence supports the increasing number of financial education initiatives and the inclusion of topics related to economic and financial culture in school education systems. We identify internationally valid policy implications. In the context of the growth strategies of Central European countries, financial literacy takes on even greater importance. The introduction of financial education in the national curricula could strengthen entrepreneurial skills and accelerate the inclusive growth process across Europe.

In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, by adopting the EU Renewable Energy Directive and the European Green Deal, the European Union aims at an extremely ambitious goal to become climate neutral by 2050. This goal involves a massive investment plan to support this initiative, but also to reduce disparities between Member States, in order to transform the Union into a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economy. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the sustainable development and renewable energy sources relationship in EU countries from a new perspective. Based on Eurostat available data and with the help of hierarchical clustering analysis, the Member States were divided in 2019 into five clusters, highlighting the key characteristics of the selected variables. The results of this research revealed high-performing groups of countries, as well as countries that need increased attention and additional support to become more efficient in achieving their sustainable development goals and renewable energy source targets.

The aim of the article is to present the most important elements to be implemented in the European Union energy policy in the 2030 perspective in the context of sustainable development of the Member States. The solution to the too high emissivity of individual economies in the European Union is the energy mix, which will establish a compromise in the so-called the triad of EU policy goals. This is undoubtedly a current climate challenge for the modern world, which also has a direct impact on the economic situation of EU countries. The basis of the presented considerations and recommendations is a literature review on the subject and a statistical analysis of empirical data of the largest statistical organizations in the EU and the world. The starting point for the analysis is the assessment of the state of the energy sector in the EU. Therefore, the goals and tasks until 2030 result from many conditions of the energy sector. The article provides recommendations for the EU on future climate and energy policy, analysing the practices of member countries empirical and data compiled by the world’s largest organizations and institutions, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Nuclear Association (WNA), Eurostat, and the International Energy Agency (IEA). The strategic goals of the EU climate and energy policy presented in the study show the necessary challenges for the implementation of sustainable development in the analyzed sector, which is the driving force of world economies. The conclusions were presented in accordance with the current economic efficiency of various energy sources and the necessity to seek a compromise among the so-called a triad of goals defined in EU policy.

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues is a peer-reviewed journal which publishes original research papers and case studies

This study investigates the realized performance of socially responsible investments (SRIs) in US and in European financial markets. We simulate a real investment strategy based on continuous portfolio optimization in the risk-return space. We assume the role of an investor who bases his or her choices on a ‘best in class' approach. We evaluate performance using the actual returns achieved by these strategies. Our results show that the socially responsible investor must pay a cost in terms of a lower investment-risk premium according to his or her appetite for risk and geographical area. In the US, SRI investments yield lower returns than non-SRI investments; in Europe, SRI investments yield lower returns and more volatility. Finally, SRIs have greater capacity to reduce risk in terms of both losses and recovery speed.