Anthropogenic activities are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, causing extreme events like soil erosion, droughts, floods, forest fires and tornadoes. Fossil fuel consumption produces CO₂, and trapping heat is the major reason for a rapid increase in global temperature, and electricity generation is responsible for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions and their adverse impact have become the focus of efforts to mitigate climate change vulnerability. This study explores empirical determinants of vulnerability to climate change such as ecosystem, food, health and infrastructure. The sustainable use of energy is necessary for development, and a source of response to climate change. The present study focuses on renewable energy consumption to determine climate vulnerability in G7 countries between 1995 and 2019. The panel ARDL approach showed that the renewable to non-renewable energy mix showed a quadratic effect on vulnerability, whereby a minimum threshold of renewable energy is required to witness a reduction in food, health and infrastructure vulnerability. Other results indicate that trade openness and development expenditures reduce health vulnerability. Development expenditures also decrease ecosystem vulnerability, while trade openness increases it. However, both of these variables increase infrastructure vulnerability. Avoiding severe food and water crises requires investment to tackle climate change, conserve energy and water resources, reform global trade and food markets, and adapting and adopting climate-resilient responses to change.

Background: Environmental deterioration is the alarming situation that results from rapid urbanization and development. The rising temperature and climate volatility are accounted for by the massive carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The research on climate-change mitigation is trying to curtail the situations before they become irreversible and unmanageable. This study explores the role of institutions in mitigating climate change by moderating the impact of environmental quality on climate change risk. Methodology: Global data sets have been collected from world big data depositories like the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Development Indicators (WDI), and the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG). Countries that are listed in WEF were used as the sample of the study. An analysis was based on 114 countries that are based on the availability of data. For estimation, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, change effects, and a Panel Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) model were used for estimating the results. Results: The global assessment indicates that CO₂ emissions increase the climate risk, but its impact can be reduced by increasing the quality of institutions. Additionally, an increase in renewable energy consumption and economic growth reduces the climate risk. Implications: It is an instrumental study that empirically investigated the role of institutions in reducing climate risk by moderating CO₂ emissions. The results of this study will help policymakers to formulate policies regarding environmental protection.

Purpose: Money laundering is an activity where illegal proceeds are hidden. This often leads to a reduction in government revenue and loss of government control of public funds. This study aims to identify the important sources of growing demand for money laundering in developing countries. Further, it identifies the factors that reduce the impact of sources of demand for money laundering. Design/methodology/approach: This study used the panel approach of feasible generalized least square to investigate the growing demand for money laundering in 62 developing countries and provides a moderation-based solution for managing the demand factors. Findings: The empirical results of this study indicate that there are two sources that increase the demand for money laundering in developing countries. This includes a high tax rate on profit linked with private firms and businesses and diversion of public funds related to government officials and politicians. The results indicate that profit tax and diversion of funds increase the demand for money laundering. The profit tax-based money laundering can be moderated by the quality of the education system and the diversion of public funds and money laundering can be moderated using bureaucracy quality. Originality/value: This is one of the first studies to empirically estimate the impact of two important sources (i.e. diversion of public funds by government officials and politicians and a high tax rate) that create demand for money laundering in developing countries. The findings help developing countries’ governments formulate policies and curb the growing demand for money laundering.

COVID-19 was declared pandemic with no apparent treatment of this virus in late 2019. It was recommended to observe the social distance, quarantine the infected patient, and follow good hygiene practices. Further, some strategies were adopted to control the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing, use of face masks, forced lockdown, and closure of borders. Many developing countries like Pakistan are facing severe crises and economic recession. Most people affected by this pandemic are women, children, elderly, and people with immune deficiencies. Zoom has become the counter-piece of life during this pandemic because people use it for job, education and socializing. This pandemic resulted in high earnings in the IT sector. Pakistan's e-commerce market size has witnessed a new high. The growth of e-commerce and mobile phone banking market size increased rapidly. Further government can help transition the businesses towards online mode, which can help retain jobs and economic growth stability.