The main objective of the paper is to highlight Romania’s perspectives on the transition process towards the circular economy, in respect with the tendencies registered at the level of the European Union. To this end, our methodology involved the selection of four indicators, each one being viewed as representative for one area of interest specified in the circular economy monitoring framework established by the European Commission, namely: Generation of waste excluding major mineral wastes per domestic material consumption; Recycling rate of municipal waste; Circular material use rate; Gross investment in tangible goods—percentage of gross domestic product. On the basis of data series provided by the Eurostat database, our study employed a quantitative approach, by using the econometric analysis of time series. For each selected indicator, time series-specific approximation and prediction models were constructed; against this background, we were able to reveal accurate forecasts of the analysed variables, with respect to different time horizons. Detailed analysis of the data series resulting from the research proved that on the long run, there are favourable premises for improving Romania’s performance in adopting the circular economic model, on the basis of low values for the indicator “Generation of waste excluding major mineral wastes per domestic material consumption”, of an ascending trend for the indicator ”Circular material use rate” and of maintaining the values of the “Gross investment in tangible goods—percentage of gross domestic product” indicator above the EU-27 average.

Research background: The transition towards a green economy, seen as a visible alternative to climate change and the need to ensure this opportunity to future generations, is a major challenge for all of the nations of the world, regardless of their status as developed, developing or emergent. In order to highlight the current state or progress towards a green economy, the reports and research of certain institutions, as well as of the academic medium, have focused on identifying the most relevant influencing factors and choosing the quantification methods capable to generate complete and useful interpretations. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the paper is to construct an instrument that enables to measure the progress of countries in terms of the transition to green economy, where Romania is considered as a case study. In this respect, a composite index (green economy index — GEI) is being proposed, achieved by aggregating some indicators for measuring sustainable development. The method underlying the calculation of the value of the GEI aggregate index allows not only to determine the current state of greening of the economy, but also provides information on the contribution made by each of the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental), as well as by each indicator individually, to this progress. Methods: Constructing the aggregated index was based on an additive aggregation of three partial indicators: the economic indicator, comprised of 8 individual indicators, the social indicator, comprised of 8 individual indicators, and the social indicator, comprised of 10 individual indicators. The collected data covers the interval of 2010–2021. Findings & value added: Calculating the Green Economy Index — GEI value for each of the 12 years under analysis has permitted not only the identification of progress regarding the green transition, and the underlying of each indicator’s contribution to this evolution, but has also confirmed the results obtained by similar studies carried out by the GGGI or European Union. We consider, as a result of the selection of certain indicators considered relevant in the economic, social and environmental field, that the newly-formed aggregate index represents an effective tool that can be used to measure progress in terms of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals, by easily adapting to the particularities of other states or regions.

Globally and regionally, nations are going through a period of important changes determined by the climate and environmental challenges in the context of the transition towards green economy, by the energy crisis caused by the Russian–Ukrainian war started in 2022, as well as the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemics, which all affect economic growth. Providing a sustainable development capable of contributing to the increase of welfare and life longevity requires high rates of economic growth as well as a healthy living environment. At present, boosting the transition to the green economy is considered as an alternative. Based on a multivariable linear regression model, this study aims to analyze the connection and influence of five macroeconomic indicators, on Romania’s economic growth over a period of 16 years (2006–2021), where the indicators are considered to be representative for green economy. The results pinpoint both the existence of a positive and long-term relation among the total greenhouse gas emissions, the value of the production of environmental goods and services, the total environmental taxes and real GDP, and the negative impact of the total generation of renewable electricity and investments for environmental protection upon real GDP. These results provide a relevant picture of the complex interdependences between the environmental indicators and economic growth, amid the significant challenges determined by the implementation of sustainability strategies. Romania’s transition towards green economy not only represents an initiative based on the obligations resulting from joining the European Union’s Green Agenda, but also results from acknowledging the consequences of climate change; in accordance, our analysis intends to empower policy makers in intensifying the current levels of the total generation of renewable energy and the investments for environmental protection, so that these might reach the thresholds required to transform them into decisive factors of economic growth.

Since their founding at the end of the XIXth century, the mining companies that have extracted coal in the Jiu Valley have tried to guarantee, though a private system of social security, pension rights for all of its employees, workers as well as clerks. This private system of social security would perpetuate itself, in the case of clerks working for Valea Jiului mining companies, though the interwar years up to the instauration of the Communist regime, when another pension scheme was established for those employees in the workforce. In this study we will seek to uncover the way in which these mining companies’ clerks’ Pension Houses were constituted and functioned after the First World War. They would operate on the basis of their own rules/statutes, would be under the leadership of a Committee chosen among the members of the Pension House, but also under the supervision of the Administrative Council of the mining company. Due to the levies placed upon their members, subsidies given by the mining companies, and other income, the Pension Houses managed throughout the entire period in question to guarantee honorable pensions for their members, and also for their widows and descendants.